Taken
by 5t4c3y
Summary: Could you fall in love with your kidnapper...Could he fall in love with you? Neither thought it was possible. Choosing between the girl you love and the brother you'd do anything for has never been so deadly *FULL SUMMARY INSIDE* Modern day fic, and hopefully a little different. FLYNN and RAPUNZEL all the way! :)
1. Taken

**A/N: Hi everyone, so this is my first EVER Tangled fic...actually this is the first fic I've written (or updated) in around 4 or 5 years (Oops), but I have just fallen in love with this film all over again. I hope you like it and I apologize in advance if it's a little rusty. I did write a similar story for Step Up, but never finished. This time the idea is NOT for going away lol. Enjoy :)**

**Summary: ****Could You fall in love with Your kidnapper? 26 year old Flynn Rider had never had a good life. An abusive alcoholic father and a mother who walked out. Now that the two of them are gone, Eugene, Flynn's younger brother and best friend is the only family he has left, but when Eugene becomes seriously ill and needs an operation to save his life Flynn begins to worry. Insurance won't cover it and there isn't enough time to raise the money…so Flynn and his two friends, Scott and Mike Stabbington do the only thing they can think of. Kidnap the Princess of Corona. Seemed simple enough. Only problem is, Flynn didn't plan on falling in love with her...nor she with him.**

******Rating: T for now but will probably rise later on.**

******Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing but the idea...**

******...**

**Chapter One**

He stood and watched her for what seemed like hours as she sat huddled in the corner of the attic, the image of the cable cutting into her ankles and wrists forever engraving itself into his mind. He hadn't been the one to tie her up. Hell, he had been against the idea right from the start, but after her attempts at self-defence, which resulted in Scott taking a fist to the face, they couldn't risk it. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt, or worse. Everything had to go according to plan. This wasn't about them any-more. It was about _him_.

Sighing, he slowly made his way towards her, her crying getting louder and more hysterical with each step he took. She scooted closer into the corner, her skinned knees pressed tightly to her heaving chest as she tried to create as much distance between the two of them as possible. She didn't get far. It wasn't until her back hit the wall that he saw just how terrified she actually was. Tears stained her beautiful face as she continued to wail, her thick golden hair sticking out in every direction. Her usual pouty lips were dry and cracked from chewing on them; a nervous habit he had discovered. The only thing he could openly admit to being happy about was the ratty black blindfold that hid the fear in her emerald-green eyes.

Ever so gently, he picked her up, causing a small gasp to escape from her throat. She was waiting for the impact of hitting the ground, or a sharp pain across the jaw, but instead all she felt was the softness of the mattress under her as he lowered her down.

"Please..." She choked out, her voice thick with fear "Please...tell me what I've done. What have I done?"

He couldn't bring himself to reply. She looked so young...So innocent. He remembered earlier that very evening, sitting at the bar watching her every move. He had never seen anyone smile so much in his life. It was contagious. He noticed everyone light up when she was around, and before long he even found himself cracking a smirk or two. He watched as she danced with a few people around her own age, but none of them grabbed her full attention. He watched as she moved to the side of the club to comfort a girl whose boyfriend had gone off with another woman, something that had surprised him since the girl had no idea who she was. But it wasn't until she made her way to the bar to buy a round of soft drinks did he catch _her_ eye. She smiled, blushing slightly before turning quickly to look at the bartender, embarrassed at being caught. In any other situation he would have found the whole encounter rather comical. Would have probably shot her a smile and wave before going over to introduce himself. He was older than her, probably by a good eight years, yet it didn't stop her from smiling once more as she took her drinks and left. He loved her smile, and it had killed him knowing that he would be the one who would make it disappear.

"Please answer me..." She spoke softly, snapping him out of his daze "Please tell me what I've done wrong. I am so very sorry for whatever it is I have done."

"...You've done nothing wrong." He finally answered, his own voice sounding that of a strangers "This has nothing to do with you."

"Then let me go home!" She pleaded, her voice cracking as her sobs filled the room once more "If I have nothing to do with this then please…please just let me go. I promise, I promise I will not say a thing! I just want to go home."

He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat, his own eyes beginning to burn with tears which were threatening to fall. The waves of guilt washing over him were almost unbearable as he watched her slight body heave with each breath she took, and he couldn't help but think the whole time 'Is it really worth all this?'

"I...I can't do that." He finally replied, looking down at the battered floorboards.

He tried to hide the pain in his voice, but it was inevitable.

"...You...you're going to kill me...Aren't you?" She whimpered; her head falling forward as her body began to heave once again "I'm going to die here…"

"No..." He managed to blurt out, causing her head to snap back up "If we were going to kill you we wouldn't have bothered blindfolding you." Standing straighter, he began to back away from the girl "Just...Just believe me when I say, you'll be home soon, ok? I promise you that you'll be home soon."

"When?" She asked, doubt lacing her voice.

But he didn't answer. Instead he turned and made his way out the door.

"WHEN!?"  
**...**

Locking the door, Flynn turned and slid to the floor, his back resting against the chipped wood as his mind slowly began to process the day's events. What the hell had he been thinking? Was this _truly_ the easiest way? Was this their only shot? He didn't know. All he knew was that if they didn't try, then everything else would be pointless. They'd end up in prison and he would...he would end up...

He couldn't even imagine.

Feeling tears burn the back of his eyes Flynn sighed and slowly got to his feet. He could still hear her soft whimpers through the other side of the door. Hear her begging and pleas for freedom...But nothing she did could change anything. Running his fingers through his hair, Flynn headed downstairs, the drunken laughter of the Stabbington Twins becoming more and more audible. How could they rejoice at a time like this? How could they have no mercy? Turning into the living room, Flynn came face to face with Scott and Michael. His accomplices.

"Woo! Here's the man of the hour!" Cried Michael, tossing Flynn a can of beer "She cryin' her eyes out? Screaming for her Mommy?"

Michael, or Mike as he preferred, stood at around 6ft 2" and was built like a tank. He wasn't much of a talker usually. Not since he got into that bar fight where he lost his eye. But alcohol and adrenaline sure did the trick at bringing him out of his shell.

"Shut up guys." Flynn replied, setting his beer down before collapsing onto the sofa.

"Hey Flynn..." Scott smirked, quickly joining him on the couch "When do we...you know...have a little fun? I could do with a bit of fun."

Scott was probably the most sadistic person Flynn had ever encountered. He had met the brothers during detention in High School, and since that day, they had gotten into more trouble together than he had in his whole teenage life. Scott was probably slightly bulkier than Mike, and definitely held a more menacing look. He had a large scar on his chin and a set of side burns that would give Wolverine a run for his money, but apart from that, Flynn doubted that he would hardly be able to tell the brothers apart.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Scott!?" Flynn cried, jumping to his feet "No one's to touch her. She's here for one thing and one thing only. Money! So for once in your miserable life can you stop thinking about your dick and remember why we are all in this situation in the first place!"

Kicking over the coffee table, Flynn stormed out the house, slamming the door as he went. He didn't need this shit. All he needed was for everyone to stick to the plan. Sighing for what felt like the millionth time that night, Flynn lent over the railing of the porch and lit a cigarette, a habit he had kicked along with many others, but had found himself doing more of recently. It was so quiet here. Although 'here' to him, usually classified as 'nowhere' to others. There was no traffic. No buildings. There were no kids playing in the streets, or women yelling from their apartment windows. All there was, was an old house, a broken down truck and a starry sky. All there was, was them.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Flynn pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a migraine beginning. If only his baby brother could see him now. See what he had become. What would he say? Well, he'd slap him up the back of the head for starters. A few times, probably. Then the yelling would start. But he had to do it. He couldn't just sit back and let nature take its course. He couldn't let it win. He had to fight back.

It had only started a couple of months before. The double vision, the headaches. They had just put it down to a simple migraine. That's all it could have been. So life continued on as normal. But weeks began to pass, and the migraines continued to get worse. His speech began to slur and his memory was a bit off, but Flynn, ever the optimist, knew that it wasn't anything serious. Stuff like that always happened to other people. He didn't have to worry about the amount of painkillers that were going 'missing' or the amount of days he had stayed in his bed. He was just tired! But as more time passed, Flynn could no longer pretend that everything was fine.  
**...**

_Flynn walked into the small house, dumping his car keys on the coffee table as he headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. It had been a long stressful day. The type of day that Flynn knew could only be fixed with a game of basketball and a few cold beers. He had to get out of the house for a while. Watching Eugene sleep on the couch all day was not healthy. But he knew everything would go back to normal soon enough._

_Passing the living room, Flynn noticed that his little brother was missing from his usual spot._

"_Hmm..." He smiled "He must be feeling better."_

_Feeling his mood lift a little, Flynn carried on to the kitchen, humming a little as he went...but that's when he saw him. On the floor with his back pressed up against the counter sat Eugene, blood pouring from his nose onto his white t-shirt. He looked at Flynn weakly, his eyes drooping slightly._

"_F-Flynn..." He finally spluttered, his body shaking slightly as he tried to get up "I'm not feeling too well."_

_And with that he toppled back to the ground._

"_Eugene!" Flynn cried, quickly skidding to a stop by his brother's side "C'mon man. C'mon bro, don't do this to me!" _

_Cradling his brother's head in his arms Flynn whipped out his phone and called for an ambulance. He couldn't lose his brother. Not now. Not after everything they had been through together. A drunken mom. An abusive dad. He was the only thing that had made everything bearable. Sure they hadn't always seen eye to eye. Flynn had only been eight when six-year-old Eugene Fitzherbert came to live with them, so obviously there had been some tension and hostility, but that quickly went. They became friends. Best friends. As far back as Flynn could remember Eugene had been the only constant thing in his life. He was always there, covering for him when he stole and crashed their Mom's new car. Helping him fight the addictions and get clean. And of course, caring for him when he was ill. They were each other's security. They needed each other, because with parents like theirs, they had no one else._

_The paramedics arrived within a matter of minutes, although to Flynn it had felt like hours. He could only watch as Eugene was strapped into a gurney and wheeled out to the waiting ambulance, the obvious questions running through his head. Was he going to die? Would he be left on his own? Flynn's optimistic views were quickly fading._

_The journey to the hospital lasted a lifetime, but when they finally arrived, Eugene was wheeled away, leaving Flynn to sit in the waiting room and fill out paperwork. The hours passed slowly, but Flynn couldn't sit. He continued to pace up and down the small room, silently praying for God to save his brother._

"_The relatives of Eugene Fitzherbert..." Was what snapped Flynn out of his retrieve._

"_Here." Flynn replied rushing towards the small doctor._

"_I'm guessing you're his brother." She said, writing on some paper "Name please." _

"_Flynn Rider." He answered, the doctor looking up at him in confusion "Adopted brother."_

"_Alright then, Mr Rider." The doctor said "We managed to find the source of the pain that your brother has been experiencing lately, and I'm sorry to say that it isn't good news. Unfortunately we found a large tumour in your brother's brain which is pressing against his right frontal lobe. We do not know what has caused this. Many times these things just develop and in other cases they can be genetic."_

_But Flynn wasn't really listening. When the words 'tumour'_ _and_ _'brain' had left the doctors mouth his world came crashing down. He didn't need to know why it was there, or what had caused it. It was there, and that was enough. He felt the tears burn his eyes, frustrating him further. Flynn was not the type of person to show his vulnerable side. Crying was a sign of 's what his dad used to say._

"_However..." The doctor carried on, bringing Flynn back to the matter at hand "There is some good news. The tumour is operable. Unfortunately though your insurance won't cover the operation and the whole process will be quite costly."_

"_I don't care!" Flynn cried, his voice breaking as his hands found their way to the back of his head "I'll get the money. I don't know how, but I'll find a way. How much we talking here? Nine...ten grand"_

_The doctor looked at Flynn with sympathy, very reluctant to tell him._

"_I'm sorry to say Mr Rider, that for this kind of procedure we will have to order in special equipment. On top of that are your hospital bills and post op treatment...I'm afraid you'll be looking at around $250,000."_

_The floor fell out from under his feet, causing Flynn to take a seat. Was it even possible to raise that kind of money? _

"_...H-how long...you know..." Flynn stuttered, staring into space as the news sunk in "How long does he have left if he doesn't get it?"_

"_...Roughly three to four months." She replied "I'm...I'm terribly sorry."_

_And with that, Flynn was left alone. He had no idea how to raise that kind of money in such a small space of time. He'd be lucky if he got two and a half grand for his old motorcycle for starters, and he highly doubted that holding a garage sale would be much help. For the first time in his life he felt totally helpless, useless even. But he couldn't give in. Through all the shit that he had managed to get himself into over the years, Eugene had not once given up on him, and Flynn would be damned if he did any different. But finding 250K would not be an easy task._

_He started out by contacting his banks in search of a loan, but they quickly shut the doors on him. He visited some local drug dealers from his past, but after parting on bad terms they weren't as willing to help. His friends couldn't help and his parents were long gone. Even tracking down any of Eugene's biological relatives turned out to be impossible, and with savings of just over $5000, he was quickly beginning to realize that he may just lose this battle._

_The weeks continued to pass, and Flynn was becoming more and more anxious with each passing day. Scott and Mike asked around on his behalf, but soon came back empty-handed, something that didn't surprise Flynn too much. He had quickly learned through the years that if you had a past involving drugs, people were less inclined to be 'charitable'. _

"_Can you think of anyone?" Flynn asked, pacing back and forth as Scott and Mike lounged about watching TV "Anyone at all!? Relative's? Friends? I mean there's got to be someone in this damn city that can help!"_

"_Rider...we tried, man..." Scott began, sadness evident in his voice "Don't get me wrong, I love Eugene as much as my own brother...but sometimes you need to know when enough is enough. And believe me; it kills me to say that. I would do anything for him."_

"_Have you considered a loan shark?" Mike asked, taking a sip of his beer "Hook would probably help you out."_

"_No way man! Do you remember what happened last time I saw Hook!? I took a knife to the shoulder." Flynn sighed, collapsing onto the sofa "What the hell am I going to do? I can't just sit back and watch him die you guys...I can't."_

_The room went silent, the only sound coming from the old telly in the corner, where His Royal Highness, King Fergus of Corona stood with his wife and daughter, waving to the cameras. Flynn couldn't help but glare. He never had to worry about money, or about his family getting ill. His daughter probably got anything that she asked Daddy for. She must have only been about 18 and nothing more than a spoiled rich kid._

_He continued to watch as King Fergus shook hands with the President, his wife and daughter smiling as the crowd applauded. Something about building a Corona Embassy._

"_Great..." Flynn scoffed "There's something we need. An embassy for the people of Corona! Screw a health service that we could all use. Who needs that when we can have a new building!?"_

"_Tell me about it..." Scott replied "Although I can say one thing, it sure is great to have a nice little piece of ass like that hanging around now." _

"_What?" Flynn asked._

"_Her Royal Highness, Princess Rapunzel of Corona." He continued, tapping the screen where the vivacious beauty stood "Since turning 18 she's decided that she would like to spend a year or two on American soil. Go to university and shit."_

"_She's gorgeous." Mike smirked "You never know, maybe we'll see her around. I could definitely tap that."_

_But Flynn wasn't listening, all he could do was stare at her, and then it hit him. He knew how he was going to save Eugene._

"_That 'Nice piece of ass, gentlemen, is what is going to save my brother." Flynn smiled, standing up and pointing at the screen "Pretty girl like that I'm sure is worth a lot of money, especially to a man like Fergus."_

"_...What are you talking about man?" Mike asked a little confused "Are you talking about…" Realization hit, causing his eyes to widen "She's the Princess of Corona, Flynn! Are you crazy!? You can't just…__**take **__her! She'll have bodyguards everywhere! You'll be shot before you can blink." _

"_Look, I'm not saying that it would be my first choice. I mean I don't want to harm the girl in any way..." Flynn replied "...But it'll work, and believe me. There'll be a moment when she's alone, and when that moment arrives, I'll be there."_  
**...**

That had been three weeks ago, but Flynn could still remember it as if it were yesterday. It had seemed a good idea at the time. Take a rich man's daughter and force him to pay a hefty ransom to get her back. Fergus would be happy to have her back, Rapunzel would be happy that she had returned home safely and Eugene would survive. No one could lose. So after keeping tabs on her for a few days; quickly realizing that she had stayed in America alone, something that had come as a convenient surprise to all three of them, Flynn finally made his move. And now she was sitting in the attic, cold, scared and alone. She was exactly where he wanted her.

"...So why do I feel like shit..." He murmured to himself, taking one last draw from his cigarette before throwing the butt into the long grass.

Turning, Flynn looked up at the attic window. He could hear them. Scott and Mike, that was. Mocking her, laughing at her. Again he could feel the dreaded tears burn the back of his eyes_, _but he wouldn't let them fall. He couldn't. He had to stay focused. For Eugene's sake...and for hers.  
**...**

**A/N: Thanks for reading guys, and please review. I'm a little rusty and need all the advice I can get. I have got most of this story written and planned out, but just want to see how it does before uploading any more. Thanks :)**


	2. Better

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews/favorites/alerts. Much appreciated :) **

**On with the next chapter…**

…

**Chapter Two**

The cold wind blew through the old house, causing an unhealthy moan to escape from the high ceiling beams. It sent a shiver up Rapunzel's spine, the hairs on the back of her neck standing upright. Apart from the faint sound of voices from downstairs, there was nothing but silence. She had no idea where she could have been taken. Somewhere rural by the sound of it…or lack of. Since she had arrived she couldn't remember hearing one car pass. One sound of a horn or a person yelling in the streets. There had been nothing. Just silence. If it had been under any other circumstances, Rapunzel would have found the quietness rather peaceful. But all she felt was loneliness.

Her tears had long but dried up, the tattered blindfold crusting at the edges. This wasn't how it was meant to be. This wasn't how she was supposed to spend her time in the states. She wanted to be independent. Learn to fend for herself and have fun in the process. It was hard being the daughter of a King. His parenting skills usually outranked by his royal duties. She had wanted nothing more than to have some time apart from him, but now…now she would give everything just to be back by his side.

The wind blew once again, the cold air causing her to shiver. She had been out with a few friends. No one in particular, just a few people she had met while on her trip. They had went out for a meal and then to a local club where she had hoped to dance the night away. Dressed in a flattering knee length, purple strapless dress, she was beginning to wish she had opted for her jeans instead. Her whole body was covered in goose bumps, and her pink stilettos which were now strewn somewhere in the alley behind the club had left her feet bloody and freezing. She could tell there was a cut on her knee which, most probably, still had glass embedded inside, and a bruise on her knuckles from where she had got a lucky punch in. Her dried up tears came back full force.

"Please…" She croaked out, not knowing if anyone could even hear her "Please let me go…someone please help me…"

Exhausted from the night's events, Rapunzel leaned against the cold damp wall, the springs in the battered mattress squeaking under her weight. If only she had listened. If only she had taken Pascal up on the offer of driving her home. Or Vlad's on walking her back to her apartment.

"_Are you crazy!?" Pascal had exclaimed "Do you know how dangerous it is out there…especially sinc__e you don't know the area."_

_But she had insisted. She was an adult living on her own for the very first time._

"_I'll be fine." She smiled "I'm a big girl…How about one more round? My treat this time."_

_She hadn't waited for their response, instead she made her way towards the bar, weaving in and out of the bodies that moved to the beat of the music. _

"_What can I get ya?" The bartender had asked._

"_3 Coke's." She replied. _

_She had never imagined herself spending a Saturday night dancing with total strangers; she had never even imagined herself being in a club before. The whole thing had seemed a little surreal, but she knew that she could quite easily get used to it. Scanning the bar Rapunzel couldn't help but smile. Everyone had seemed so happy. Safe. Lost in their own little world. Her eyes settled on one man in particular though. He had sat at the end of the bar, staring into his beer with a solemn look. He was attractive, a thought that had caught Rapunzel off guard. Broad shouldered, well defined muscles and a strong jaw. Traits that her father would have been pleased with, had he been of royal blood. _

_Rapunzel had watched as he scratched his stubbly chin, his hand going from his face to his shaggy brown hair. There was a mystery to him. He seemed to be the only person in the whole club who had come alone, nor had he really been dressed for the occasion. A plain black t-shirt covered by a faded leather jacket, and a pair of old jeans with a tear in the knee. Yet, in her opinion, he was probably one of the best looking men in the whole club. He had caught her looking at him, causing her attention to turn back to the bartender who had had her drinks waiting._

"_Thank you" She said quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment before taking her drinks and leaving._

The rest of the night had been a bit of a blur after that. She remembered leaving the club, waving to Vlad and Pascal as she left. She remembered walking down the alleyway towards the backstreet that would take her home. And then…nothing. Just chaos. The more she thought about everything the more she could see just how stupid she had been. What would her father have said? A princess should have known better. Should have taken up the chivalrous offer from her friends.

Her tears came back once again, the fear of the unknown crippling her. Bowing her head, Rapunzel quietly began to pray.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid?" Her soft voice filled the room "The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident…Father…save me."  
**...**

It was a good couple of hours later before Flynn had the guts to step back inside. Scott and Mike were both passed out on the couch, the only sound coming from the TV. Sighing, Flynn turned off the TV and began to head upstairs towards his 'room'. A small grungy place that had an old ratty single bed and very little furniture. It was safe to say that it was no palace that they were hiding out in. The house had once belonged to the Twins' Grandfather. A nice guy, but since he died very little had been done with it, including cleaning.

Flynn couldn't help but look towards the attic as he headed for bed. He couldn't help but stop and think about the girl who was tied up, pleading for freedom. Freedom that he so wanted to give. It was cold. Too cold to be wearing nothing but a dress. What if she was freezing…and she was bound to be hungry by now. Heading into his room, Flynn rummaged through his bag and pulled out an old sweater and a pair of sweat pants. They would probably keep her a little warmer.

Turning back out the door, Flynn stopped. He couldn't exactly dress her, and he very much doubted that she was in a state to do it herself blindfolded. How could he hide his identity from her? Rummaging through his bag once more, Flynn came across a bandana, a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses. Disguising himself, he made his way for the attic once again, trying hard to remain as quiet as possible. The last thing he needed was for his friends to wake up.

Unlocking the door, Flynn stepped in to see Rapunzel in the same position. She was huddled in a ball on the bed, sitting as far into the corner as she could get. He could see the panic in her face as she heard his footsteps getting closer. A sight, he was beginning to realize, that he would never find easy. She choked back a sob as she tried to scoot even further into her corner.

"Don't be afraid." He spoke softly, slowly sitting on the edge of the bed.

"W-what do you want?" She replied back.

"I came to bring you some warm clothes." Flynn said "I'm going to take that blindfold off you and untie you. Let you get dressed."

"You could let me go!" She spat back.

"Believe me…" He mumbled, looking down at the ground "I really wish I could."

Standing, Flynn moved closer to her. Her whole body tensed as he reached behind her head to untie the blindfold. He watched as she slowly became accustomed to the dim room. The only source of light coming from the rays of the moon through the window. Her eyes looked worse than he had expected. Red, swollen and teary. He literally felt his heart wrench as she looked up at him. He was only thankful that the sunglasses hid his own glassy eyes. The bandana covering his trembling lip.

"I'm going to untie you now." He said, picking up her wrists "I promise I'm not going to hurt you, ok?"

Nodding with uncertainty, Rapunzel watched as her captor gently began to pull at the knots in the cords. They were tight from all the pulling that she had done, but pretty soon, he had her free.

She couldn't help but wince as he unwrapped the cable from her wrists. They were swollen and bloody. She slowly began to move them as he began the same task on her ankles, which in the end looked just as bad.

"I'm sorry." He practically whispered, never taking his eyes off the marks that had been left behind "Are you very sore?"

"No…" She replied "Only a little. It looks worse than it feels. My feet are a bit sore and I think there is glass in my knee."

"Ok…I'll have a look if you want." He said "Right now I'll turn away and let you change."

A little stunned by his chivalry, Rapunzel nodded. True to his word he stood and turned towards the door, letting her have some sort of privacy. He heard the zip of her dress, the soft thump as it fell to her ankles. Rapunzel pulled the oversized green sweater on without much delay, quickly followed by the even bigger bottoms. At least she would be a little comfier now, and a lot warmer.

"Ok…" She said, taking a seat on the bed.

Turning back round, Flynn felt the wrenching again. She looked so young. So innocent. Kneeling before her he motioned for her to roll up the pants leg to let him see her knee. It was a bit bloody. A purple bruise forming round the sides. Looking up at her for permission, Flynn gently took hold of her leg and slowly began to pick a piece of glass out from her wound.

"There ya go." He said as she winced, pulling the piece of glass out "Apart from that the wound looks pretty clean."

"…Thank you." Rapunzel replied, quickly rolling the pants leg back down "…You…you're not like the other two. You're different…You seem…kinder, almost. Is it part of your scheme? To lead me into a false sense of security? "

"No." Flynn spoke "I just have no reason to act like an asshole. This isn't a personal attack against you."

"Is it against my Father?" She gasped, worry in her eyes "Are my family in danger!?"

"No…no, nothing like that." Flynn quickly confirmed "As…horrible as it sounds…you're only here because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time...I promise I have no interest in hurting either you or your family."

Rapunzel stared up at him, her big green eyes glistening. She wanted to believe him, and if she was perfectly honest with herself, she already did. But she couldn't allow herself to confuse his acts of 'kindness' as anything other than self-seeking motions. She wasn't locked away in this attic for a vacation. She was there because he wanted something, and with her there he knew he could get it. She didn't want to think of anything bad happening, but she knew she couldn't rule it out either.

"I don't know if I should believe you..." She croaked, her usual sweet voice sounding hoarse and raspy "But if I don't...then where's my hope?"

Flynn watched as she covered her eyes, her small body heaving as she began to cry again. He could only imagine how she was feeling. She had spent her whole life in safety, never having to worry physically or financially. To find herself locked away with complete strangers would be the biggest shock to her.

"Then do believe..." He finally spoke "I promise you, you'll be safe, OK? I'm not going to let anything else happen to you. You have my word."

Again, Rapunzel looked up at him and with her tears dying down, gave a small nod. Sniffling, she wiped her nose on the long sleeve of the sweater before running her hands through her long hair. She could feel the dirt and grit through it, a twig or something stuck in the back. Oh, what she would do for a bath right then.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Flynn asked nervously "Food...water..."

"I need a bath." She replied, too embarrassed to meet his gaze "I...I need to wash the dirt off me."

Flynn could relate. He wanted nothing more than to lock himself in the bathroom and scrub until the dirt and guilt was gone.

"Uh...sure." He said, rubbing the back of his neck "We only have a shower though, so..."

"That's fine." Rapunzel answered, standing up once again, the pain in her torn up feet crippling "I just need to...be clean."

"Ok..."Flynn nodded "The other two are passed out so I'll take you down now, but we have to be quick. I don't want to give either of them a reason to act up."

"Ok."

Hobbling slightly, Rapunzel followed Flynn to the door. The pain in her feet was beginning to become unbearable, and Flynn noticed. She held on to the walls and boxes that lay strewn about as she slowly joined him. Opening the door, Flynn turned to her, and without saying anything, gently picked her up bridal style. He could feel her body tense once more at the contact, but he couldn't let her tackle the stairs in as much pain.

"Sorry..." He mumbled, her grip on his shirt loosening.

He quickly carried her down the stairs, peering round the door into the hallway to make sure that Mike and Scott were still sound. With a small sigh of relief, Flynn set her back on her feet before leading her a few feet down the hall towards the bathroom. Rapunzel couldn't help but stare in horror when he flicked on the light, and in all honesty Flynn could understand why. The once cream wall tiles had, over the years, turned a sickly nicotine stained shade of yellow, the linoleum flooring tearing at the door way and round the cracked toilet. Fit for a princess it wasn't.

"Uh..." Flynn stuttered "To work the shower, you need to turn it up to max and wait a few minutes. After that you can change the temperature."

"Thank you." Rapunzel murmured, wrapping her arms around her tiny waist.

"I...uh...I need to keep the door open a little...Just in case." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Rapunzel could tell that he was obviously uncomfortable about the situation, but all she did was nod slowly. Giving a slight nod in return, Flynn went out of the bathroom and lent against the wall by the door. Soon he could hear the sound of running water, and the rustle of the shower curtain. Sighing, he took off the sunglasses and pulled the bandanna down from his face. He took down his hood and removed his hat, sitting all the items on the small table which sat beside him. Running his hands through his hair, Flynn sighed again. He looked at the floor, and then back up, his eyes setting on the mirror in front of him. It had a clear view of the inside of the bathroom, and Flynn soon found himself sliding down the wall to sit on the floor when he caught a glimpse of Rapunzel's bare back as she pulled his sweater over her head. He was many things, but a peeping tom was not one of them.

Resting his head against the wall, Flynn closed his eyes, memories of him and Eugene as kids flooding his mind. _Are you coming to my football game today...You're the best big brother in the world...I love you, Flynn! _He could feel the tears burn the back of his eyes.

"I'm going to make it better Eugene." He whispered, a single tear running down his cheek "I'm going to make it better."  
**...**

**A/N: So what did you think guys? Did you enjoy it? Please review, even if it's a bit of constructive criticism. Like I said, I need all the advice I can get. Thanks :)**


	3. Fear

**A/N: You're all amazing! Thank all so much for the reviews/alerts/favorites and for just reading**  
**…****….**

**Chapter Three**

The trek back up to the attic came all to quickly for Rapunzel, as Flynn carried her up the stairs. The shower had given her some form of comfort, and a bit more heat, but that was short lived as they entered the drafty room. Rapunzel kept her eyes on Flynn the whole time, thanking him when he sat her gently down on the bed. He was different. His attitude, his touch, even the tone of his voice. There was a great pain in his voice. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Rapunzel looked up at Flynn sheepishly.

"Are...are you the boss?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"What do you mean?" Flynn responded, a little confused.

"Are you the one who organized all of this?" She replied, running a piece of hair between her hands. Another nervous habit he was realizing.

He was silent, his breath catching in his throat as he stared back into her big green orbs.

"Uh..." He began "Yeah..." _And I hate myself because of it _"I am..."

He couldn't look at her. He couldn't bear to see her eyes well up again, to see her beautiful face contort into one of fear and misery...but it didn't. Instead she sighed, her body relaxing as she gave the closest thing to a smile he had seen since her capture.

"Good..." She breathed out "At least it's you; the nicer one, and not one of the other guys. They...I get the impression they're quite unpredictable."

Flynn didn't reply, but deep in his gut he knew that he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life asking for their help. He knew fine well what the Stabbington Twins were capable of. It hadn't even been two years since Scott had been up for a serious assault charge, something that he had denied from the beginning and was eventually found clear of. But Flynn knew that his temper and violence had been getting more and more out of control in the last couple of years, and the only reason Scott wasn't behind bars today was due to lack of evidence.

"You'll never be left alone with either of them." Flynn finally spoke "I'll make sure of it…I promise you they won't hurt you."

"Thank you..." Rapunzel nodded, another small sigh escaping from her lips.

She didn't know how long she would be spending cooped up in the attic, but the thought of having to be there in the company of those two men made the hairs on her neck stand upright.

"I best be going." Flynn said softly, causing Rapunzel to snap out of her daze "Is there anything I can get you before you go to sleep?"

"Uh, no." Rapunzel replied, backing away slightly "Are...Are you going to tie me up again?"

"No." Flynn said "I'm sorry we did that in the first place."

Nodding with a faint smile, Rapunzel climbed under the thick covers. They may have smelled like moth balls, but at least she knew she would be warm. She watched as Flynn shifted on his feet awkwardly before making his way to the door. She could feel the torment radiating off of him. It was like he didn't want to be within 20 feet of her, but at the same time didn't want to be apart. What was it that caused him to do what he did? What caused him to bring her here? What was it that was causing him so much pain?

"I'll be first up in the morning." He assured "I'll take you down for breakfast."

"Ok. Thank you." She replied back "...Goodnight."

That caught him off guard. Stopping, Flynn turned to look at her. He had watched her ride the emotional rollercoaster all night. Happiness, fear, anger and an emotion that he hadn't quite figured out yet. Compassion maybe? Probably not, but throughout the whole night she had always maintained an element of politeness. But that was probably down to the fact that she was royalty. Still, 'goodnight' was something that he hadn't heard from anyone in a very long time. _Maybe this girl isn't quite what I expected after all..._

"Uh...Goodnight"

**...**

By the time Flynn got back downstairs Scott and Mike were awake, and were already downing yet another can of beer each. The TV sat buzzing in the corner, images of news vans and flashing lights gracing it's screen. Sitting down, Flynn turned it up. It was from outside Rapunzel's apartment building. How the hell did people find out so quickly? They hadn't even sent out the ransom letter yet.

"How did this happen!" He yelled in shock.

"Her doorman..." Scott grunted, lazily pointing to the TV as a picture of the gorgeous princess flashed on the screen "He filed a police report when she didn't arrive back when she said she would. I guess because she is who she is the pigs were a little more keen to find her quickly...But you would have known all this if you weren't too busy PMS-ing. How is our lovely princess doing?"

Flynn shot him a glare, but didn't answer. Instead he glued his eyes to the TV and listened.

_"Police are refusing to answer any more questions at this time..."_ The perky broadcaster said as officers and the forensics team moved around in the background _"They are treating this case as suspicious but have not given any specific details.. At the moment it seems to be that no eye witnesses have come forward and there are no obvious leads. All we can do is hope and pray that Corona's Little Princess is found safe and soon..."_

Flynn's hands flew to his hair. This was happening. It was actually happening, and they had gotten away with it. They had grabbed her without anyone seeing her. They had gotten away without anyone suspecting a thing. There was now no turning back. King Fergus and Queen Corrine were probably on a flight back to DC as they spoke.

"Fuck..." Flynn whispered before standing up "Right, first thing in the morning guys, ransom video. This is going to be over as quick as possible. With rap sheets like ours I don't want to risk it and get found out before we get the money. Scott, after that I want you to drive to the phone box outside Marco's pizzeria. There hasn't been a working CCTV camera there in about 6 years. That's where you make a call to the cops and tell them you have information. Direct them to the tape. Mike, when Scott is making the call I want you to be on the other side of town making the drop off. Stick the tape in the green trash can that was burned out a couple of weeks ago. Both these locations are quite a distance away from each other and the girls apartment. We should make it without any attention."

"Ok..." Scott, replied with a slight nod "And what about you Rider? What are you going to be doing?"

"I'll be watching the girl and visiting Eugene." Flynn said, crossing his arms over his own chest "Is there going to be a problem with that?"

Flynn could see the anger begin to rise in Scott's eyes at his challenge, but he didn't back down. He was one of the very few people who weren't afraid of him or his temper.

"Just remember Rider..." Scott continued, taking a step closer to Flynn "If I can't fuck her then neither can you."

"Was hardly planning on it." Flynn spat back "We just need to keep up the appearance of normal everyday life."

"Just make sure you keep it in your pants then." He sneered.

"I don't mix business with pleasure."

**...**

He didn't sleep much that night; tossing and turning, seeing every hour pass by on the clock. It was around 4 in the morning when Flynn abandoned all thoughts of sleep, got up and headed for the bathroom. A warm shower would help him relax. Help him forget everything, even for a second.

Turning on the water, Flynn stripped down and stepped in a little. He let the stream beat down his back, loosening the tight muscles in his shoulders before stepping in fully. Relaxing was a term that he wasn't too familiar with these days, so he was going to enjoy it as long as he could. The words that were etched into his shoulder blades 'Only the strong survive', was one saying that he believed was keeping him remotely sane.

He couldn't help but let his mind wander though, back to his brother...back to the Princess. He'd be waking her up in no more than two hours' time, an hour that he knew Scott and Mike were strangers to. The thought of having to see her blotchy face and swollen eyes in the day light made his stomach churn.

Turning off the shower, Flynn stepped out, his body immediately met by the cold air. Wiping the condensation away from the mirror that hung a little lopsided above the sink, he caught sight of how tired he actually looked. There were large bags under his eyes, and his usually neatly trimmed facial hair was in desperate need of a tidy up. The rest of him didn't look too hot either. His well-defined torso was scratched and scared from the years of abuse he and many others had put it through. Cigarette burns down his toned stomach from when he had pissed of the same guy one too many times, a large Celtic design tattooed up his side and down his arm, one that Eugene had pleaded with him not to get, and a faded purple scar that started on his left shoulder and came to a stop on his pec. He remembered how he got it vividly. It was a night that should have ended with him in a box when Hook and his goons had tried to 'Finish him off'. He could still remember the searing pain as the knife slashed across his body. Thankfully he was just a little faster.

Running a hand down his face, Flynn began to dry off, quickly getting re-dressed before heading back to his room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, knowing that she was just above him. He hoped that she had managed to get to sleep, that it hadn't been too cold. Hopefully come tomorrow night she would be safely home in her own bed. Everything going according to plan, the video would bring a hasty ransom.

Time seemed to speed up, and before he knew it it had just passed six o'clock. _Time for breakfast_. Disguising himself, Flynn quietly crept out his room, peeking in on the Stabbington's to make sure they were out cold before making his way up to the attic once again. The feeling of dread began to rise up, a walk down the Green Mile seeming more appealing, but he soon found himself standing in the dingy room, the sun just beginning to rise in the horizon. He calmed a little at the sight of her lying curled up on the bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin as she slept peacefully._ At least she managed to sleep_. She didn't stir as he made his way closer to the bed.

"Rapunzel..." He whispered. It was the first time he had actually said her name "Rapunzel..."

But there was no reply. She continued to sleep. Hesitantly, Flynn reached over and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. She truly was beautiful, a beauty that he hadn't seen often. It was a natural beauty. There she was in his old sweats, her elbow length golden hair curling slightly and her flawless skin without any make-up, yet she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Considering everything, she actually looked peaceful. Snapping out of his daze, Flynn moved his hand to her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

"Rapunzel...time to wake up." He said softly.

She groaned a little, her eyes scrunching up as they made contact with the sunlight. Turning away from the window, Rapunzel sat up slightly and looked up at Flynn bleary eyed. It took her a second to register where she was and what had happened. She let out a small sigh before looking down at her lap.

"I thought it was just a dream." She said quietly.

Flynn didn't respond, not knowing what to say. He wished it was all just a dream. That Eugene was well...But he wasn't. Clearing his throat a little he shuffled on his feet.

"Do you want to come down for some breakfast?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are the other two up yet?" Rapunzel replied with a shaky voice.

"Are you kidding?" Flynn said with a hint of a chuckle "I don't think those two are aware that there even _is_ a 6 o'clock in the morning."

"Breakfast sounds good then." Smirking a little, Rapunzel climbed out the bed. It had taken her a little while to get comfy through the night, but pretty soon she succumbed to the sleep that was so desperately trying to overtake her. "I'm starving."

"Good." Flynn replied in a cheerier voice "Cause we've got a lot of food that needs eaten..." He watched as she began to shuffle a little "Are your feet still sore? Are...are you wanting me to carry you down again?"

"I'm ok." She answered gently "I'll just hold onto you a little."

Nodding, Flynn held out his hand for her. The minute their fingers brushed a bolt of electricity shot through them. Looking up at Flynn, Rapunzel gave a nervous smile before following him towards the door.

"Static..." She gasped.

There was a strange feeling in her stomach though, his too if he was honest enough. He knew that he found her attractive, and probably given any other circumstance he would have spent the previous night at the club trying to get her to leave with him, or at the very least cough up her phone number. But he had been honest with Scott the previous night. He didn't mix business with pleasure.

Quietly, Flynn led Rapunzel down the stairs and through the small hallways before coming to a stop in the kitchen. The whole house, in Rapunzel's opinion, was a dump. Wall paper peeling, large patches of mold, scarcely furnished and a smell of damp was all that she could really focus on. The kitchen wasn't much either. All it had was a cooker, a small fridge that was dented on the top, some worktops and a table that sat in the middle of the room with mismatched chairs round it. Her sheltered lifestyle had made her oblivious to the fact that people lived in such conditions.

"Take a seat." Flynn said, cutting her off from her thoughts "We've got sausage, eggs, bacon, cereal..."

"How about a bit of everything?" Rapunzel interjected a little sheepishly "Big appetite."

"Everything it is." He chuckled.

She watched as he cracked the eggs into the pan before filling a bowl with coco puffs.

"Bon _appétit_." He said, handing her the generous bowl.

She didn't wait long before she began to shovel the cereal into her mouth, Flynn chuckling a little.

"How lady like of you." He joked as she wiped milk from her chin with his sleeve.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've been able to sit and eat a cereal that actually tastes good!" She replied with her mouth full, her cheeks puffed out as she spoke "Too long!"

"Take it your families into the whole 'Healthy Eating' thing?" He asked, adding some bacon into another pan.

"You have no idea." She rolled her eyes "I mean granola is nice but having it every day, it can soon begin to taste like cardboard."

"I'm with you there." He replied "I'm usually done after a couple of spoonful's never mind after a couple of days."

Rapunzel giggled as she sat her spoon down in the empty bowl. She highly doubted that interaction with your kidnapper like this was 'normal', but she also doubted that having a kind kidnapper was normal too. She sat in silence, watching Flynn cook away.

"Do you like cooking?" She asked, breaking her silence.

"Ah...it's OK I guess." Flynn began "I've been doing it most my life. What about you?"

"I've never been given the chance." She replied, a little embarrassed "I've baked though. I like baking. I'm good at it too."

"That so..." He said, plating up her food "And here I am cooking you breakfast when you could be making us something a whole lot sweeter."

She rolled her eyes, smiling as he sat her plate down. She watched as he took a seat in front of her, her own reflection staring back at her in his sunglasses. His disguise was certainly affective. Not one inch of his face could be seen apart from his nose, but seeing him in this light, Rapunzel could still tell that he was familiar. That she had seen him somewhere before.

"Tastes good." She mumbled as she dug into her breakfast "I'm impressed."

"No you're not, you're just hungry." He joked, sitting back in his seat.

The room went silent, all signs of humor vanishing as Flynn cleared his throat.

"Uh...we're going to film the ransom video today." He finally said.

It was a reminder to her just why she was there.

"I take it my parents know by now." Rapunzel said softly, pushing some egg across her plate with her fork.

"Yeah." He replied "Looks like your doorman called the police when you didn't return home when you said you would."

"Francis..." She said with a faint smile "He's a nice man. He offered his wife to come over and teach me how to cook one day. Said it was a lot like baking...They're from Africa you know. He's due to retire soon too...I was going to send him and his wife to Corona for four weeks for a vacation."

"I bet he'd like that." Flynn said softly, noticing that she was speaking in the past tense "You could even show them round personally. I'm pretty sure a royal escort would make anyone feel special."

She didn't respond, just looked up at him briefly before looking back down at her eggs, continuing to push them across the plate rather than finish them off. Suddenly her appetite wasn't as big. Flynn could feel the tugging on his heart, the lurching in his belly. For a second there…there seemed to be ease. No worry. And then, like a thief in the night, it was gone. He couldn't help but sigh a little as he sat back in his seat, Rapunzel still refusing to meet his gaze for any length of time.

"Rapunzel…" He spoke softly, leaning down a little, forcing her to look at him "Please listen to me…You _will_ see your family again. Ok? You _will_ see Corona again. I'm not going to make you suffer any more than you already are by playing mind games with you. Ok?"

She nodded a little.

"Ok…" She whispered "I'm sorry…I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He replied back "Don't ever be sorry for anything you say or do to me. I deserve everything you've got to offer."

"…I don't know you." She said tucking her hair behind her ears "I don't know your circumstances, I don't know your upbringing and I don't know what made you do this…But what I do know is that you are _not _the same as your ordinary kidnapper. You are not the same as those two…_animals_ that you have working with you…You are _not _a bad guy…I just feel that…and that scares me slightly…and I don't know why."

"The fear of not knowing can be a powerful thing." He mumbled, sadness evident in his voice.

"I know…" She nodded in agreement.

"…You know…I'll always remember something my brother used to say to me." Flynn began, smiling slightly through his sadness as he remembered the words that Eugene said during his 'rehabilitation' period. A period where Flynn had been nothing short of terrified "He used to say to me '_Fear can mean two things. One, it can mean Forget Everything And Run…or two…It can mean Face Everything And Rise…The choice is yours_'."

"…And what did you choose?" Rapunzel asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

But for Flynn that wasn't an easy answer. Sure, he had risen up and beat the addictions but after that, life had carried on, and more fears appeared. Fears that made his rehabilitation period look like a walk in the park. Fears that he still had to face.

"…What did I choose?" He finally spoke "…I'll let you know…"  
**…****…**

**A/N: Ugh! Don't know if I like this chapter too much lol. But hope you enjoyed and please review. More to come very soon :-)**


	4. Rider

**A/N: Thanks once again guys. You are all wonderful :-)**

**...**

**Chapter Four**

Two hours later, Flynn found himself sitting on his own once again. The rising sun fought its way through the broken blinds as he sat staring at the buzzing TV, waiting patiently for King Fergus and Queen Corrine's public appeal to begin. The news of the Princess's disappearance was by far the most talked about subject on every channel. Sighing, Flynn brought the burning cigarette to his mouth, taking a long drag before lying back on the tatty brown couch and blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. There was still no sign of Scott or Mike waking from their comas anytime soon. The words that Rapunzel had used to describe them kept ringing in his mind. _Those animals_. And as much as Flynn hated to admit it, she was right.

Flicking some ash onto the floor, Flynn took another draw from his cigarette, turning up the TV when the images of Fergus and Corrine entering the conference room filled the screen. The look of despair in their eyes made it difficult for Flynn to watch. As they stared into the camera he felt like they were staring straight at him, knowing what it was that he had done. It was the first time that Flynn had seen the two of them in an informal setting. There were no fancy clothes. No expensive jewellery…There were no masks. Sitting in front of him wasn't a King and Queen. It was two parents desperate to see their daughter again.

They were surrounded by a lot of reporters, flashes from camera's capturing their grief ridden faces as microphones were pushed up under their noses. Many people began shouting their questions at once, Queen Corrine wiping fresh tears from her eyes as her husband wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulder. He looked to be fighting back his own tears as the crowd was ushered to let them speak...plead for information on their daughter's disappearance. After all, there was still no proof that she had been kidnapped.

"_Today…is a sad day…_" Fergus began, his voice cracking as he continued to stare into the camera "_Because today I was informed that my beautiful daughter…My Rapunzel…did not return home last night._" More cameras flashed as Corrine began to break down, her hand flying to her mouth to muffle her choking sobs "_Today I sit here, not as a King but as a father, appealing to anyone who may hold any information on the whereabouts of our daughter. We ask that the public come forward in helping us find her. We ask that if Rapunzel herself is watching this, that she get in contact...And we also ask, that if anyone is __**behind **__her disappearance, that you do not harm her. We ask that you bring her home. Thank you._"

The crowd went wild as the King and Queen were led off camera by a police officer, phone numbers flashing across the screen for anyone with information. Sighing once again, Flynn blew the last of his cigarette smoke out before dubbing out the butt. As far as he gathered the cops were still clueless as to the Princess's disappearance, but that was not going to last long. The sooner they got the tape out the way the better.

…

It had been just over thirteen hours since the Princess's disappearance, something that Detective Maximus Guard was growing more and more aware of. He had been standing off on the side lines watching the distraught parents make their appeal, occasionally scanning the crowd for any suspicious looking characters that may be involved. 22 years on the force had certainly taught him that anything was possible when it came down to a Missing Persons case.

He had been the first Detective on the scene and knew the minute that he had stepped out of the car that this wasn't a simple runaway case. Finding the Princess's pink stilettos had only confirmed that for him, but without any witnesses or CCTV footage, he didn't have anything solid to go on.

Waiting until the reporters had made their way out of the conference room, Max soon followed in the direction that the King and Queen had gone in only moments before. He found them sitting in a small room, the King with his arm wrapped tightly around his wife's shoulders as her small body heaved with sobs. It didn't matter how rich you were, or what your title was. A parent was a parent.

"Your Majesty…" Max spoke softly, causing Fergus to look up "I'm Detective Maximus Guard. I'm heading up your daughters case."

Standing, Fergus made his way over to Max, shaking his hand firmly with both of his.

"Please tell me something." Fergus said, his eyes as big as saucers "Anything…Do you believe my daughter is safe."

"I believe your daughter has been abducted, Your Majesty." Max spoke, never breaking eye contact with the burly King.

At the word 'abducted', both the King and Queen gasped, Corrine's hand flying to her mouth as she began to cry once again.

"But…" Max carried on "I also believe that if she has been abducted, that she is alive. Someone of your daughter's status is too precious for anyone to just 'do away with'. This will be purely about money."

"Then what should we do!?" Corrine cried, getting up to join her husband and the white haired detective.

"Right now…" Max replied with a sigh "All we can do is wait."

…

10 o'clock soon came and Flynn was beginning to lose his patience. The number of cigarettes in his pocket dwindling with each passing minute. The thought of having to wait another couple of hours for his friends to wake up was not something that he was particularly looking forward to. Waiting had never been his strong point. Annoyed, he shut off the TV, hoisted himself out of his seat and began to climb the stairs, making sure that he thumped on each step just a little louder than necessary.

They hadn't moved much since the last time he checked in. Both were sprawled out on their beds, their bags and empty cans of beer littering the floor around them. The curtains were drawn, but the sun was still managing to break through the small holes that covered them. _Lovely sight…_ Making his way through the room, Flynn open the curtains, the sun light immediately waking Scott and Mike out of their slumber.

"What the fuck!" Cried Scott as he sat up, shielding his eyes from the invading light "What the hell you doing Rider!?"

"Time to wake up boys." He replied, picking up a sports bag that lay in the corner of the room before rummaging through it.

"What time is it?" Mike asked quietly, scratching his head as he yawned.

"10" Flynn said without looking up from the bag.

"10am!" Scott exclaimed "Man that's still night in my book! I'm goin' back to sleep."

But Flynn didn't say anything. He continued to look through his bag, before giving a frustrated sigh. Throwing the bag back to the floor he headed over to the small desk that sat in the corner of the room and began to look through the drawers. Sitting up fully, Scott gave his friend a confused look.

"What the fuck are you looking for!?" He cried, shooting Flynn an impatient look.

"Camcorder" Flynn said "I don't know if you two have forgotten, but we have a young girl upstairs who is desperate to get home." Finding the camera in the drawer, Flynn turned to look at his burly friends, who by the looks of things were still half asleep and ready to kill him "Time to film this video and get it over with."  
**…**

Rapunzel stood at the dirt spotted window staring out into the nothingness that was known as 'outside'. It was a beautiful day, a day where she would have loved to spend sitting outside basking in the sunlight. She could tell by the gentle sway of the few trees outside that there was a slight breeze and the sweet sound of birds singing brought her a little joy. Wherever it was that her captors had brought her, it was unlike any place she had seen before. For miles, all she could see was fields. Very unlike the streets of Washington DC where she was calling 'home' for the next couple of years. Just how far from the city was she?

Turning away from the window, Rapunzel couldn't help but look round the room that she was being held captive in. Dull, grey and cold. She couldn't understand how a place as beautiful as outside could be the back yard to such an awful place as this house.

It was the sound of footsteps that caused Rapunzel to snap out of her daze. Heavy footsteps. _Them_. Panicked, she climbed back on to the bed, scooting as far into the corner as she could before the door burst open.

Flynn could clearly see what Rapunzel meant when she said he was different from Scott and Mike. The way Scott had kicked the door open was just proof of that. He saw her jump as the two barged into the room, the fear in her big emerald eyes sickening. She tried to scurry even further into the corner as their faceless figures got closer, but was pulled into the middle of the bed when Scott grabbed her ankles and hauled her back. There was a cry of pain as his grip tightened around the tender area of her legs, Flynn wanting nothing more than to beat him into a bloody pulp. He had promised her they wouldn't hurt her.

"Hey!" He cried, storming further into the room "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Shut up!" Barked Scott, letting her go briefly.

Again Rapunzel tried to scoot away, but Scott was just that little bit faster, grabbing her ankles once more and pulling her back into the middle of the bed. Sobbing, she began to thrash her legs about, the two brothers laughing. But with one swift movement she broke free, bringing a foot up and kicking Scott in the face. Crying out in pain, Scott's hands flew to his nose, blood seeping through the bandana that covered him.

"You bitch!" He cried before quickly backhanding her across the face.

Furious, Flynn grabbed him by the shirt, pushing him away and causing him to stumble over some boxes.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" He cried before turning to help the crying Princess sit up "Don't you understand!? No touching her, no hurting her!"

Huffing, Scott got up and stalked over to the other side of the room, grabbing the camcorder as he and Mike began to set it up. Turning to look at Rapunzel, Flynn saw how scared she truly was...and to be honest...he was a little scared himself. He had never seen Scott act this way towards a woman before. Give someone a little ounce of power and they abuse it.

"You ok?" He whispered to her, his hand on her back as she nodded slightly "You sure?"

"Can we just get this over with?" She pleaded her voice small and timid as she tried to hold back the fear and tears that were threatening to fall once again.

Helping her up, Flynn walked her over to a chair that Mike had brought in. She looked so small. So fragile. Her wavy hair framing her tear stained face as she looked anywhere but towards the two brutes arguing over the camera. Tucking her hands inside the sleeves of the sweater, she wiped her eyes, Flynn crouching in front of her as her body gave an involuntary jerk.

"Rapunzel." He said quietly, causing her to look down towards him "I am so sorry. That was not ok…"

"RIDER!" Snapped Scott, clutching the camera in anger as he watched his friend's actions "Fucking stand up!"

_Rider_…A name...She finally had a name, or at least part of one. A simple slip up that had gone unnoticed had given her his name.

"You better do what he says." She whispered he eyes glassy as she placed a hand on his forearm "No point in the both of us getting hurt. I'm ok…honest."

Nodding, Flynn reluctantly got to his feet and headed over towards the two brothers, the anger boiling inside of him. It took everything in his power not to beat Scott black and blue. This was supposed to be simple! Film the video, drop it off and get the money. There was no violence.

"Quite finished?" Scott barked, closing a tape into the camera.

"Just give me the fucking camera." Flynn spat back.

Handing his friend the camera, Scott made his way over to Rapunzel, taking a post at her side as Mike stood beside Flynn holding flash cards up. Flynn felt his stomach lurch at the fear in her eyes as Scott placed a large hand on her shoulder to keep her down. It was as if his touch burned her. Like his very presence was about to make her sick. He watched as she bit her lip, turning her head away from him as she waited for filming to begin.

"You be a good girl now…" He snarled down at her.

Hitting the record button, Flynn gave a nod to Rapunzel, one that he swore she returned as she turned her attention towards the cards Mike was holding up.

"Mom…Daddy…" She began, fighting to keep her voice as calm as possible "Last night…I was taken as I walked home from a night out with friends…" She watched as Mike dropped the front card "I don't know where I am, but I want to come home…" Her voice began to crack as a tear rolled down her cheek "…I just want to come home…"

Flynn didn't know that it was possible to feel your heart break, until his began to shatter.

"…Please give them what they want…" She carried on "If you don't then they will…kill me!?"

She began to panic as she read the words, looking at Flynn then at Scott who pulled out a gun from the back of his jeans and held it to her head. She felt sick as she felt the cold metal against her skin, her life flashing before her eyes as she tried to remain as calm as possible. Flynn wanted nothing more than to stop everything and take her home, but Eugene's life depended on it. All he could do was give her a little nod to continue, and thankfully she did.

"Please…" She began once more "Just give them what they want…More instructions to follow."

Flynn cut the camera off, and stood up. Rapunzel whimpered a little as Scott pressed the barrel of the gun deeper into the side of her skull, and for a minute she actually thought that he was about to shoot her.

"Put the gun down!" Flynn cried.

Looking at his friend, Scott reluctantly lowered the gun and stalked out the room, snatching the camera out of his hand as he went. Mike slowly walked towards Flynn, brushing up against him before he leaned down into Rapunzel and whispered in her ear...

"You were lucky this time."

"Go send the fucking video!" Flynn shouted, pushing him out the door and slamming it shut.

At the sound of the brothers muttering and stomping downstairs, Rapunzel broke down, her body heaving as she sobbed into her arms. Her lip was bleeding from where she had been hit, her body shaking with fright as Flynn made his way over to her, once again kneeling in front of her. Gingerly, he put his hand out and touched her knee, a little sign to show her that he was there. She didn't wait two seconds before throwing her arms around his neck and crying into his chest, knocking him into a sitting position on the floor. Surprised at first Flynn didn't know what to do, but soon he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into him as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"I'm so sorry…I'm so _so _sorry." He said, rubbing her back as she continued to cry "That wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't even know that he had a gun."

She didn't say anything. She just gripped the back of his hoodie tighter and pulled herself closer into his body. He was taken aback by her sudden gesture, but he wasn't going to move her. How could he? He had promised her that she would be safe. That they wouldn't hurt her.

"I'm sorry…" She finally mumbled, pulling back to look at him "I just got so…I thought I was about to die."

_So did I_…

Swallowing, Flynn tucked some or her hair behind her ear, gently cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Just remember what I said." He spoke softly "You _will _see Corona again."

Nodding, Rapunzel finally managed to take a deep breath, a wave of calmness beginning to overtake her. Why did she believe everything this guy was saying to her? Why did she trust him so much?

Sitting back a little, Rapunzel brushed some hair from her face, her fingers coming in contact with the cut on her lip causing her to wince a little. Her first bloody lip.

"Ahh!" She hissed, gently dabbing the tender area before wiping her hand onto the sweatpants "Great..."

Without thinking, Flynn reached up and gently pressed his thumb to her mouth, slowly swiping the blood away. He sat like that for what felt like forever, staring into her big emerald eyes as he absentmindedly traced the shape of her lower lip, his fingers looking so dirty compared to her porcelain skin.

"Thank you." Rapunzel finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"It's…it's nothing." He stuttered, his nerves coming through.

She couldn't help but stare at him, again, her own reflection bouncing back from his sunglasses. Oh how she wanted to take those glasses off. To look into the eyes of the man who had been nothing but kind to her the whole time. To look into the eyes of the man who made her stomach jump every time he was near. The man, who oddly enough, she wanted to call a 'friend'.

"Is it your first or last name?" She asked timidly, breaking both of them out of their daze.

"Is what my first or last name?" Flynn asked, a lump rising in his throat.

"Rider?"

Scott…He had called him 'Rider' in her presence. How could he have forgotten that?

"…It's…my last name." He finally spoke "And it was something that you weren't supposed to find out."

"Well…I promise I won't tell." She said with a small smirk, one arm still draped around his neck as they sat on the old dusty floor "Can I ask something else of you…"

"Sure." Flynn replied, smirking at her formality.

"…Can…can you take off your glasses?"

Flynn didn't know why, but for some reason he felt inclined to take them off. He knew that he shouldn't do it, but he also knew that he shouldn't have the girl sitting in his lap while he hugged her. But for some reason he couldn't seem to move her...For some reason he didn't want to. Reaching up he was about to take off the sunglasses, Rapunzel soon stopping him as she placed her small hand on top of his.

"Wait." She said "I want to do it."

Without argument, Flynn lowered his hand and watched as Rapunzel slowly reached out towards them. She seemed to be of two minds whether she was actually going to remove them or not, but pretty soon the dark tint that covered his vision was gone and for the first time since exchanging glances at the bar, their eyes met.

She remained silent, never looking away as she held the glasses in her hands. His eyes were amazing. Brown…Hazel to be exact, and filled with more compassion and concern than she had ever seen in her life. Compassion and concern for her. He wasn't putting on an act with her...He truly meant every word he said.

Although the bandanna still covered most of his face, Rapunzel didn't care. His eyes were enough, and all she could muster up was one simple little word.

"...Wow."

…**.**

**A/N: Soooo…what did you think? I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing it. Please review. They are such an encouragement. Thank you :-)**


	5. Pure

**A/N: You guys are truly amazing. I'm so glad that you're all enjoying this story so much. Please continue to R&R :-)**  
**…**

**Chapter Five**

_Wow_. That's all she managed to say…Wow. The minute that Rapunzel took off the dark shields from his eyes, she knew that she recognized him. Had they met before? Was that why he was being so nice to her? Because she had laid eyes on him without his disguise? Because she had seen _him_? Dropping the sunglasses onto the floor, Rapunzel never shifted off of his lap. All she did was continue to stare into his emotion filled eyes. Opening her mouth, Rapunzel went to speak, but closed it again when nothing came out. But _who _was he? She had to know.

Flynn watched as she slowly began to reach up for the bandanna that concealed the rest of his identity, but just before she managed to pull it down, he quickly stood up, Rapunzel falling onto the floor with a soft thud as he backed away quickly. Confused she looked up at him, only to find him sliding the glasses back onto his face, not daring to meet her gaze. He seemed panicked, looking anywhere but her. Sitting up, Rapunzel gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry…" She exclaimed "I didn't mean to push…you just look so…familiar."

But Flynn still didn't look at her. He _couldn't _look at her, because he knew if he did then he would cave and take her home there and then.

"I…I'm going to head downstairs." He began, quickly heading for the door "I'll be back up later with some food and water."

"No!" She cried, climbing to her feet and running towards the door "Wait!"

Reaching the door before him, Rapunzel pressed her back up against it, blocking it as she clutched the door knob behind her. She couldn't let him leave. Not without answering some questions. Flynn, a little surprised, took another step back. Why was she having this effect on him!? Turning round so he wasn't looking at her, Flynn sighed. Why had he let her take his glasses off!? How could he have been so stupid!? Scott would have his head for this if he ever found out.

Reluctantly turning back round, Flynn made his way for the door once more, but still Rapunzel didn't budge. She just stood there, the sun illuminating her golden hair. They stood mere inches apart, Flynn trying to reach around her to grab the door knob. She stared up at him, her eyes never leaving the dark shades. She was tiny compared to him.

"Please move…" He said in a whisper, his voice raspy.

"I know you…" She replied, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes once again "I've seen you before…Where have I seen you!?"

"Rapunzel…" He said a little more sternly "I need to go. Look this was a mistake!"

The last thing he needed or wanted was to fight with her. To lose that trusting bond that she was beginning to build up with him.

"…Please." She begged quietly, her voice small as her eyes once again became glassy "Please just answer me."

"I-I can't." Flynn replied, his own voice sounding as if it were about to betray him by cracking "Now if you don't move then I'm going to have to tie you up again and I don't want to do that…so please, Rapunzel…for both our sakes, please move."

Reluctantly, Rapunzel moved away from the door. She tucked some hair behind her ear and crossed her arms over her chest. Turning to look at her once more, Flynn gave a small sigh.

"I'm sorry." He said before heading out the room, locking the door behind him.

When he was gone, Rapunzel slumped against the door, sliding down it until she was sitting on the cold wooden floor. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she rested her arms on them. She knew that she recognized his eyes. But where she had seen them she couldn't remember. Sighing, she lent her head against the door.

"Where do I know you from?" She said to herself quietly.  
**…**

When outside the room, Flynn closed his eyes and leaned against the door, copying Rapunzel's action in sliding down it. Taking a seat on the top step he sighed and took off his disguise. Why had he let it get that far? He should have known better than that. This was a lot harder than he thought it would be. How did he end up with her on his lap? Her arms wrapped around him and his round her? He wasn't supposed to be comforting her. Not like that anyway.

"Pull it together, Rider." He said through gritted teeth, running his hand through his hair, tugging on it slightly "Get your fucking act together."

Getting up, Flynn headed downstairs, trying and failing to banish all thoughts of the vivacious blonde from his mind. When holding her, he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling he had never experienced before with any woman. He had felt...happiness. Her closeness…her touch, they had sent his body into a frenzy. The hairs on the back of his neck standing upright.

Walking into the living area, Flynn found the Stabbington Brother's finishing converting the recording to disc, Scott shooting him a look of hatred as Mike put the DVD into a case.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, man!?" Scott bellowed, walking towards him "You letting her get to you!? Letting her get into your fucking mind!?"

"You shouldn't have been touching her like that!" Flynn shouted back "We agreed on that!"

"No!" Scott said, Mike coming to stand next to him "_You _agreed to it…Why do you care so much about the little bitch anyway!? Look what she did to my face!?"

Scott pointed to his bloody nose, his eyes turning a sickening shade of purple. Flynn couldn't help but feel a burst of pride for Rapunzel. She certainly knew how to hold her own. To cause that much damage to someone's face there had to be a lot of power behind that kick.

"Well, think about it Scott." Flynn began "You touch her, hurt her, have sex with her…all these things will come back to bite you on the ass. It's not as if the cops won't find out! And I'm not adding rape onto my list! Kidnapping is enough, and now thanks to the little 'stunt' that you pulled upstairs we've got assault with a deadly weapon!"

The two brothers were silent as Flynn finished his rant.

"I just wanted to scare her a little." Scott finally said his voice gruff with anger.

"Yeah, well it worked didn't it!?" Flynn spat, collapsing onto the sofa and lighting a cigarette "Is the DVD ready?"

"Yeah." Mike said, waving it front of him.

"Good." He sighed "You guys remember the plan?"

"Phone and trash can." Scott mumbled, rolling his eyes "We got it." He said, heading for the door with his brother "But don't expect us back tonight Rider. Like you said, we need to keep up the appearance of normal everyday life. I'm going out."

"Well I hope you two have fun." Flynn replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice "I'm sure you two will be capable of that while I go and visit Eugene."

At the sound of Eugene's name, they all went quiet. Even Scott who was beginning to lose sight of what they were meant to be doing. Saving his life. Giving a small grunt Scott left the house, Mike following close behind. The whole house shook as they slammed the door shut, and then there was silence.

"Just don't get caught." Flynn whispered, taking a drag from his cigarette.  
**…**

The hour drive from Dickerson to DC was one that Flynn had never been able to appreciate in all its glory before, but knowing that Rapunzel was safe from his two 'friends' till tomorrow helped him relax a little and enjoy the peacefulness. The sun danced behind the trees, the fields golden as he headed on route to the hospital. How could the world go on spinning when Eugene was lying there, wasting away? How could it still look so beautiful? Winding down the window a little, Flynn turned on the radio.

_These bruises make for better conversation, loses the vibe that separates…_

Nothing like a little _Train _to pass the time.  
**…**

It wasn't too long before Flynn came to a stop outside the hospital, the once shining sun disappearing behind the greying clouds. It had been a while since he had managed to visit Eugene, the 'money making' plans taking up most of his time, but he knew he couldn't hide forever. Eugene was in there dying, and it scared him. Every step he took through the hospital felt like a thousand, but eventually he found himself standing outside his brother's room, gazing through the little glass window on the door as he slept. There he lay, hooked up to all sorts of machines. There seemed to be more wires coming out of him than there was a Christmas tree. Taking a deep breath, Flynn opened the door and stepped in, the only sound coming from the various machines around him and the small TV in the corner. The News once again updating the public on the Princess's disappearance, although now the headlines read 'Abduction'. Looked like the Stabbington's had managed it after all.

Nervously, Flynn made his way over to the side of the bed, taking a seat in one of the uncomfortable pink chairs. He could feel the tears burn the back of his eyes at the sight of his little brother. He looked worse now than he had the day he found him bleeding all over their kitchen floor. Unable to control them any longer, Flynn's tears fell, a strangled sob escaping from his throat as he covered his face with his hands.

"You better not be crying over me you big wuss." Came the soft slurred voice of his brother, causing Flynn to snap up.

"Eugene." He smiled a little, wiping away his tears quickly "Of course not…" He said "I was crying at the thought of you getting a sponge bath from that lovely little nurse out there and me missing out."

"Sure you were." Eugene joked, pressing the button on his bed until he was moved into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry I've not been for a while." Flynn said softly "I've been trying to get some money together."

_And I've been terrified of coming to see you._

"Flynn…" Eugene began through deep breathes, tiredness evident in his voice "Don't…You and I both know that you'll never get this money on time…and I'm ok with that…I can cope, and believe me, you will too. Don't go beating yourself up over this."

"Eugene…" Flynn began "Shut the fuck up." Eugene smiled a little at his brother's potty mouth "I'm going to get the money together really really soon. Trust me. You just sit back and relax. You'll be better again. Ok? I promise."

"Just…" He began "Don't you go and do something stupid now. I love you too much to see you in jail again."

"I'm not touching drugs." Flynn said bluntly "I'm not using. Or selling either."

Giving a small smile and a little nod, Eugene slowly turned his head towards the TV, images of Rapunzel gracing the screens once again as the reporter delivered the news that an anonymous tip off had confirmed that she had been abducted.

"That's insane." He finally slurred out "I mean who would be stupid enough to kidnap a Princess and think they could get away with it?"

"I know…" Flynn said in agreement praying that his voice didn't give anything away "Couple of fucking idiots probably."

_Or just someone who was truly desperate…_  
**…**

The 'goodbye' had been hard, the promise to visit again soon had been even harder, but soon Flynn found himself back parking in front of the rundown house, the sun just beginning to set in the distance. He had been a little longer than intended, and he knew by now that Rapunzel would most likely need something to eat and drink.

He didn't waste too much time before preparing her a warm meal, carrying it up the stairs alongside a tall glass of water. Starving the girl to death was definitely not part of his plan. Setting the tray on the ground, Flynn unlocked the door before nudging it open with his foot to reveal the petite girl sitting on the bed looking out the window. She had been crying again, he could tell, not that he could blame her though. Picking up her food he closed the door behind him, carrying it over to the bed beside her.

"Hey…" He said softly, causing her to look up at him with a little scowl as he sat the plate beside her "You ok?"

"What do you think!?" She cried, running her hands through her hair "Of course I'm not ok! No one is telling me anything! Not even the reason that I'm here! Why am I here!? And I swear if you say '_you'll be fine' _one more time, I'll scream!"

Closing his eyes, Flynn took a seat on the other side of her. He looked over at her, surprised that she had moved a little closer to him, her anger quickly fading into sadness.

"I'm sorry…" She sighed "I didn't mean to snap at you. You're the only one who actually seems to care about me. I'm just feeling…frustrated. I want to know what's going on. Even if it's only partly."

"Don't be sorry." Flynn said softly, a hint of a chuckle in his voice "I understand."

He didn't know whether it was stupid or not, but at that moment he didn't really care either, because the next thing he knew he was reaching up for his glasses and setting them down between them on the bed. Looking over at Rapunzel he was glad to see that she was now sporting a small smile, a hint of a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I like you better without them." She said softly as she picked up the plate of food, quickly digging in.

"Thanks." He said with a small smile.

He could feel the question bubbling away in the back of his mind, reluctant to ask it, but he knew deep down that if he was in her position he would probably want to have the same question asked to him.

"Do…do you want to talk?" He finally asked, causing Rapunzel to look at him like he had just sprouted another head.

"Are you serious?" She asked in confusion, a hint of laughter in her voice as she continued to eat "What about?"

"Anything." Flynn said "Might get your mind off of things and help you 'vent' a little."

Smiling, Rapunzel quickly finished off her meal before tucking her legs up under her body to get comfy. Flynn couldn't help but laugh a little at her eagerness.

"Ok…" She began, obviously excited at the chance to socialize "How about I ask you some questions and you can ask me some."

"Ok, deal." Flynn smirked, the bandana hiding his smile "But I'm not promising that I'll be able to answer everything."

Rapunzel nodded and tucked some hair behind her ear. She didn't care if he could answer them all. All she cared about was the fact that he was being a friend towards her.

"Ok…" She began "I'll start with an easy one then…what age are you?"

"I'm 26." Flynn said with a chuckle.

"Really!" Rapunzel exclaimed "I thought you were only a couple of years older than me."

"You say that like I'm ancient." He laughed, causing her to giggle a little.

"I don't mean it like that." She smiled, another small giggle escaping her lips.

He loved her laugh. It was contagious.

"Ok…" She finally said "Your turn."

Flynn sat forward a bit and looked up, obviously thinking, but soon he looked back at the beautiful Blonde. Rapunzel could tell that he was smirking by the way his eyes went. She liked the fact that he had taken his glasses off to talk to her. Made her feel like he actually wanted to socialize, and was not being forced into it. He seemed rather comfy too, making her feel like she was just sitting at home in her room talking to a friend.

"What's it like..." Flynn began, bringing Rapunzel out of her thoughts "To be royalty?"

Rapunzel gave a sad smile, looked down at her hands which lay in her lap before looking back into his brown eyes.

"It isn't actually as great as it looks." She answered "I mean, the whole 'never having to worry about money' thing is great, but My Dad is very over protective. Being the daughter of a King definitely has its downfalls."

"How over protective is he?" Flynn asked, truly interested in the conversation.

"Well let's see shall we..." Rapunzel began with a smirk, sitting up straight "Ever since I was a kid I can always remember having someone follow me, even if it was to go a simple walk in the Palace gardens...When he was visiting DC to meet with the President though, I managed to convince him to let me stay in the country a little while by myself. I wanted to go to university. He wasn't thrilled about the idea, but he eventually relented."

"How did you manage that?" Flynn asked with genuine curiosity.

"Easy." She smiled "I simply said '_But Dad, it's not fair! Prince William got to go to university and he was fine!'_. Worked a charm."

Chuckling a little, Flynn ushered her to carry on.

"He, I wouldn't say chooses my friends for me…" She continued "But he does have a lot of insight into who would be best for me to socialize with. He just doesn't want me to be used…Most of my friends are kinda superficial airheads. Except Anna and Merida! We've been best friends since we were little."

"Well that's good." Flynn began, sitting back a little on the bed "It's good to have friends that you can trust."

_I wish I knew what that was like._

"Yeah, they're great." She smiled "My Dad likes them too…But do you want to hear the big one?" She asked, quickly getting back to her story "I am 18 years old, and I've never had a boyfriend."

"Seriously!?" Flynn said in shock.

"Yeah, I know." Rapunzel said with a nod.

"You've really never had a boyfriend?" He asked.

Rapunzel just shook her head, biting her bottom lip.

"Nope." She stated "I've never so much as had the chance to hold a guy's hand. My Dad makes sure that he is extremely careful when it comes to me socializing with the opposite sex. I think he's terrified that I end up getting pregnant or something out of wedlock and get a bad name for myself. As a Princess I should be a role model for the younger girls of the Kingdom…I don't mind though…I understand that he's just being a worried father. He gave me this purity ring when I was 12…" She began, holding out her hand to show Flynn the white gold un-blossomed rose ring "He asked me if I would like to wear it…I said yes. I like the idea of waiting until you fall in love with someone before taking a step like that. What better way of saying 'I love you'."

Flynn couldn't help but smile a little. If he had heard a speech like that come from anyone else he would have probably thought it was the cheesiest thing ever, but hearing it come from Rapunzel made it sound romantic. Pure. Her Dad wasn't a bad guy. He was a man whose only crime was caring too much for his daughter.

"Well, I've never really been in a serious relationship either." Flynn confessed, although there had been many girls in his life, none were important enough to keep around for any length of time.

"No?" Rapunzel asked, looking up from her ring "How come?"

"No reason." He said with a shrug of the shoulder "I've just never found a girl that I've..." She looked beautiful. Her piercing green eyes never leaving his as she listened to him intently "...that I've had a strong connection with before...I guess you just need to wait for the right person to show up, you know?"

Smiling, Rapunzel gave a small nod, that small blush creeping up her cheeks once again.

"Yeah…" She began "I guess you do."

**…**

**A/N: Cheesy or what lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter guys. Please review and tell me what you think :-)**


	6. Extraordinary

**A/N: Again guys, thank you all so much for the reviews/favourites/alerts and for just reading. Means a lot :-)**

**I want to dedicate this chapter to the person who reviews under the name '**_**anonymous'**_**. I want to thank you for reviewing every new chapter. They always make me smile. I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story :-) **

…**...**

**Chapter Six**

There was nothing in this world that pissed Detective Max Guard off more than a smart-ass, and unfortunately for him it sounded like that was exactly what he was dealing with. The call had been short and sweet, the voice muffled slightly by the sound of traffic in the background. Most likely taking place in a public pay phone. Tracing down the phone that the call had been made from would be child's play, but eliminating every print bar the kidnappers would be near impossible. The son-of-a-bitch got lucky...this time.

Like the voice had told him, they found the DVD in a burned out green trash can about 40 minutes walk from the Princess' apartment and half an hour from the traced pay phone outside a rundown pizzeria. Clever, but it would only be a matter of time before they slipped up.

The DVD had been rather difficult to watch. The look of fear on the young girls face as the gun was pulled out on her had been nothing short of heart wrenching. But at least she was alive.

It was around 8pm as Max sat watching the DVD for what seemed like the hundredth time. The King and Queen had been adamant that they wanted to see it, something that Max hadn't advised, but to see their little girl breathing was probably the comfort that they needed to help them sleep that night. It didn't mean that it had been easy though. Pausing the disc, Max sat back in his chair and ran a hand down his long face. There had to be something that would help him!

"Hey, Boss..." Called Conrad, the newest member of his team "We're all calling in some Chinese food. Wanting anything?"

"Huh?" Max replied, turning to look at the young man "Uh, no...no, I'm OK thanks."

"OK..." Conrad nodded "Hey, why don't you take a break from that. You've done nothing but watch it all night. Give your mind a rest."

"I will." Max assured with a small smile "I just feel like I'm missing something...That there's something staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

"Well just holler if you need a fresh pair of eyes." The rookie said with a smile before heading out the room.

Sighing, Max played the video once again, the fear in the Princess's eyes getting him every time.

"C'mon..." He mumbled to himself "Show me what it is..."  
**…...**

Rapunzel's laughter, in Flynn's opinion, was one of the most beautiful sounds there ever was. A night which would probably have been spent like so many others; in despair and misery, had been brought to life. Brought to life by her, and her laughter. Every time she threw her head back in a fit of giggles, Flynn's heart leapt. He could do nothing but smile as her body shook with happiness, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. They had been sitting there for hours both on the bed with their backs pressed up against the wall sharing stories about their lives, and if Flynn was totally honest with himself, it was turning out to be one of the best nights in his.

"I can't breathe..." Rapunzel choked out between fits, her laughter becoming inaudible "You're a funny guy."

She obviously hadn't had a lot of male company if she thought that _he _was a funny guy.

"Well, I try." He chuckled softly "Hey, you wanting to head downstairs? Watch a little TV?"

"Are your friends due back any time soon?" She asked, her arms instinctively wrapping round her body at the thought of the two.

The way that he had touched her had sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't bear to imagine the look in his eyes. Filled with desire and lust. The very thought made her sick to her stomach.

"No." Flynn replied, noticing her discomfort "They're staying the night in the city."

He watched as the flash of fear that appeared in her eyes faded away, her happiness soon returning as she gave a small smile. Without answering she jumped from the bed, quickly grabbing Flynn by the hand and pulled him up towards the door. He couldn't help but find her excitement a little amusing as she stood waiting at the door for him to lead the way.

"Remember..." Flynn said as he took her small hand in his and led her down the dark stairwell "This is our little secret. Those two find out you're down here there'll be hell to pay."

"Of course." She nodded, her smile growing at the thought of getting out the dingy attic "But I hope you know, Mr. Rider, that I will be quizzing you some more downstairs."

He chuckled once more at her playfulness.

"Of course Your Highness." He replied, playing along "Just as long as you are aware, I still may not be able to answer all your inquisitive questions."

She giggled once again as Flynn carried on leading her through the house towards the living room.

The living room, in Rapunzel's opinion, was probably one of the worst rooms in the house. Like many of the other rooms it was scarcely furnished with only a coffee table, a battered brown couch, a large empty cabinet and an old portable TV that sat on some boxes filling it. The walls were stained that same sickly nicotine yellow, a large painting of a forest gracing one wall a little lopsided. But the worst aspect had to be the suffocating smell of smoke that caught in her chest as she entered the room, something that she struggled to hide as she began to cough.

"Sorry..." Flynn said a little sheepishly as he opened a window "Bad habit."

"Yours?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Guilty." He replied, motioning for her to have a seat "Don't worry. I won't light up in front of you."

Smiling at his chivalry Rapunzel fell onto the lumpy couch, stretching her legs out before bringing them up under her body once again. She watched as Flynn took a seat next to her, switching on the TV before turning slightly to face her. The butterflies in her stomach were going wild as he stared at her. His hazel eyes full of curiosity and wonder. How she loved those eyes. They burned deep into her. The only eyes that had gotten to see the real her in a _very _long time.

"So..." Rapunzel began, scooting a little closer to him "You know about my family, you know about my friends...lets find out a little more about you. Where did you grow up?"

Where did he grow up? That was a question he probably _could_ answer. So far all he had really shared about was fun times through high school and memorable times with his brother. Even if he wasn't her kidnapper, delving into his back story was something that he would probably think twice about doing.

"Where did I grow up?" Flynn replied back with a smile "I was born and bred in DC. Been there all my days."

"Was it fun?" She asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"It..." Flynn began, struggling to find the right words "It was...challenging, let's say...Things at home were rarely good and I was a bit of a 'well known troublemaker', cops words not mine." She couldn't help but giggle a little once again, Flynn's heart doing that same little jump "But I guess for the most part it was a fun enough place to grow up."

"What type of trouble did you get into as a kid?" She asked, bringing her legs out from under her body and pulling them into her chest "Anything serious?"

"Ah, just kid stuff really." Flynn said, sitting forward a little "Stealing, drinking, vandalism. Thought I was a tough guy. I was in more fights than I care to remember."

"What about as you got older?" She continued.

"I'm scared to tell you." He said with a nervous laugh, struggling to look her in the eye "Let's just say I did a lot of things I'm not proud of."

"Well..." Rapunzel began with a soft smile, leaning forward a little to meet Flynn's eyes "We can all do things that we're not proud of. Doesn't change who we are as a person, and...I kinda like you. So I doubt that anything you say will make me think any less of you."

"...Rapunzel...You _do_ realize that I just snatched you off the street." Flynn chuckled, bringing another soft giggle from her lips "You're not actually _supposed _to like me."

"What can I say!?" She smirked "I've always been a little unconventional."

He couldn't help but laugh a little. She truly was turning out to be one of the most extraordinary people he had ever met, and with that he knew he was able to share.

"Ok..." Flynn said with a deep sigh as he began to dig through his well buried memories "...I guess it was kind of inevitable the route I was going to go down. Life at home had been kinda tough. My Dad had always been a bit of a bully, and I guess my Mom just couldn't take it anymore...After she left he hit the drink quite bad, pretty soon finding that knocking the living hell out of my brother and I was his new favourite past time." Rapunzel gasped, her hand flying to her mouth "...I must have been around 15 when...when I started 'experimenting'. Trying to block out the pain. Nothing really heavy to start with...a bit of Pot, then a little Speed...then a lot of everything...By the time I was 20 I found myself sticking my thumb in my mouth and blowing until the vein in my neck was visible enough..." She was silent, staring at him with sad eyes. Flynn couldn't help but feel shame and embarrassment "That's when I knew I had a big problem. I would have stolen your last dollar if I knew it would help me get a fix."

"How..." She began with glassy eyes, her voice cracking "How did you get clean?"

"With a lot of difficulty." He replied, the sadness evident in his own voice "If it wasn't for Eugene, my brother, then I don't know where I would have been today...Probably rotting in a grave somewhere...I owe it all to him and the Big Chief In The Sky...I was quickly dying, and he never gave up on me..."

"You sound close." Rapunzel said with a soft smile, a silent tear running down her cheek "Where is he now?"

_Dying..._

"He's...He's..." Flynn could feel his own tears burn the back of his eyes.

He wasn't about to cry in front of a princess...He couldn't...but unfortunately he didn't have much of a say in that, and pretty soon found his tears were falling. With her heart wrenching, Rapunzel leaned over and took hold of his hand, squeezing it gently as she waited for him to continue.

"He's sick..." Was all he could blurt out as he composed himself "Really sick..."

"What's wrong with him?" She asked, worry dancing in her emerald eyes "How sick?"

"He's...He's got a brain tumour." Flynn managed to reply, trying hard to keep his tears at bay "A tumour that my insurance 'won't cover', and if I don't get $250,000 dollars together for the operation soon then...He'll be dead..."

Realization hit Rapunzel as she watched Flynn angrily wipe his tears from his eyes. She wasn't there because a couple of guys wanted to take advantage of her wealth. She was there because a desperate man wanted to save the only family he had left.

"So you though that by kidnapping me, you would be able to get the money in time to save him." She said softly, Flynn unable to look her in the eye.

"...Yeah..." He finally whispered, looking down at his lap "I just wanted to save him...He's my best friend."

He felt awful, expecting Rapunzel to yell at him, wish his brother dead and tell him that he would never see the money, but he was wrong. Instead, he felt her squeeze his hand even more. Looking back up at her he was surprised to see her giving him a sad looking smile, some more tears running down her cheeks.

"Thank you for sharing with me..." She finally said "I know it must have been hard."

"Thanks for listening..." He said with a small smirk "And...for not judging."

"Never, Rider." She replied, smiling a little "...I promise you, you'll get the money. Ok? I'll make sure of it."

"What?" Flynn said in confusion "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." She nodded "I won't let you lose him."

"Rapunzel...Thank you! "To the Princess's surprise, Flynn pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms round her waist and pulling her in tight. She couldn't help but smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him back "Thank you..."

"No problem, Rider." She laughed softly.

Pulling back slightly, Flynn couldn't help but look into Rapunzel's eyes. Again he was caught off guard at how beautiful she was and ever so slowly, he reached up and brushed some stray strands of hair out of her eyes, tucking them gently behind her ear. A little alarmed at his boldness, Flynn quickly drew his hand away, a little embarrassed at what he had done.

"I'm sorry..." He said with a nervous chuckle.

"It's Ok, Rider..." She smiled "...I don't mind."

"...Call me Flynn..."  
**...**

Who did he think he was? Telling him what to do. If Flynn said 'Jump!' was he supposed to say 'How high!?'. Not on his fucking life was he about to bow down to him.

Downing the last of his beer Scott slammed the empty bottle onto the bar, nodding for the tender to push another one in his direction. To say that he was pissed was an understatement. Nobody dare tell him what to do, let alone what _not _to do. As far as Scott was concerned, Flynn was in serious danger of getting his ass kicked.

"I'm gonna kill that Rider." He spat to his brother before taking a swing from his new bottle "I'm gonna kill him! Him and that little bitch of his."

All Mike did was nod before taking a chug from his own drink.

"We need to watch him, Mikey..." He said keeping his voice low "The minute he gets that money he'll roll over on us. Keep every penny for himself. Doubt he even gives two fucks if his brother dies or not...Well, not if I have my way he won't. If I have my way, I'll make sure he doesn't see a penny of it. Even if it costs me a bullet or two..."  
**...**

**A/N: I know, kinda short, but I hope you all liked it. I've ran out of pre-written chapters, so I'm having to write every chapter as I go now, but I know where it's gonna go :-)**

**Reviews make me giddy, so please leave one and tell me what you all think. Thank you :-)**


	7. Beautiful

**A/N: Wow guys! Thank you all so much for those kind reviews, and a special thank you '**_**prnamber3909'**_**for taking the time to review all six chapters. I feel like it's been ages since I updated lol.**

**So guys, I've been getting a few messages saying that it's obvious that Rapunzel is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, and although I think that it would make for an interesting plot line, in this story she is not. I know that Stockholm Syndrome is when a prisoner begins to have feelings of attachment and sympathy for their captor, but this is usually a defence mechanism where someone feels threatened enough by their captor for the mind to unconsciously develop those feelings. **

**With him protecting her, Flynn has never caused Rapunzel to feel unsafe around him, whereas the Stabbington's quite frequently cause her to have feelings of fear. I think that if she were to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, then her feelings of attachment would be towards them instead of Flynn.**

**...And hopefully that all made sense lol. **

**Anyway guys, thanks again, and on with the story :-)**  
**… **

**Chapter Seven**

He didn't know if it had been wise, not that he was really caring if he was totally honest, but the moment that '_Call me Flynn_' had escaped from his lips he knew that there was no going back. She hadn't said anything at first. Just stared at him as if she were hearing things. But soon enough that small beautiful smile that he loved so much began to creep across her face, and when that happened he knew it had been worth it. Anything to see her smile.

"Flynn..." Her soft voice rang out "Flynn Rider...I like it."

He couldn't help but smile a little himself; not that she could see it anyway.

"Well, it's very nice to finally be able to have a proper introduction..." She began before holding her hand out towards him "Nice to meet you, Flynn."

Chuckling a little, Flynn took hold of her hand, shaking it slightly as her smile grew.

"Thank you." He replied through his smile, holding onto her hand just a second longer. "It's nice to meet you too, Rapunzel."

The city seemed so small from where she was standing. Like another world almost. Down there everything was perfect. Peaceful. She could barely remember what that felt like. She couldn't help but feel an element of anger as she watched the people move about without a care in the world. How could they be so alive when her world was in the process of falling apart.

Sighing, Corrine covered her eyes, praying that the tears that had long since dried up wouldn't fall again. The image of her daughter with a gun pressed to her head was something that she didn't think that she would ever be able to forget. Coming to stand next to his wife, Fergus put his arm around her, joining her at gazing out onto the city. If this were Corona the whole kingdom would be out hunting for his daughter, and the men who did this.

"She's alive, my Love." Fergus said softly "Just remember, she's alive."

"For how long?" Corrine asked, turning to her husband with glassy eyes "A day? A week? Fergus, whoever has her is dangerous. I can't just sit back and pretend that everything is fine because I saw her breathing on a video tape!" Sighing, Fergus took hold of her small hands "I just...I just want my baby back."

"We'll get her..." He said, pulling her in for a hug before placing a small kiss on top of her head "We'll get her, my Love."  
**… **

It was around 3am when Flynn woke up to the sound of the TV buzzing. The film that the two had been watching, or trying to at least, had long finished, snow covering the screen. Lazily grabbing the remote, he flicked the TV off before giving a stretch and turning to face the sleeping beauty next to him. Even when she slept she looked perfect, gently resting her head against his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile. Was there any point now in trying to pretend that the thought of being near her didn't excite him? Didn't enthral him?

Not wanting to wake her Flynn slowly turned, cupping the back of her head as he lowered her down onto the couch. She didn't even bat an eyelid as he moved her. Just sighed a little. Smiling again he reached up and pulled down the old crochet blanket that draped over the back of the sofa before wrapping it round her. She was too peaceful to wake and take back to that hell hole upstairs. No. She would sleep there, and he would sleep on the floor next to her. In the morning he would wake her up, cook her breakfast and _then_ he would take her back upstairs, where, if he had his way, he would spend the whole day talking to her again.

"Goodnight, Princess..." He whispered before lying on the hard floor next to her, sleep quickly over taking him.

Thankfully he managed to get a few more hours than the night before. There had been a little bit of tossing and turning, images of the blonde haired beauty invading his dreams. He had dreamed that she was dancing. Dancing with a masked man dressed in black. Their steps fluent. Passionate. But with every step they took, with every spin and twirl the blackness fell away. The mask bit by bit, breaking off, until all that was left was them. Him. Holding her close. Their foreheads resting together. He had almost cried when he woke up.

"Careful, Rider..." He whispered to himself before looking up at the sleeping girl, her beauty catching him every time "...Careful..."

**…**

It had been useless. 9 hours of watching the damn tape over and over again, and for what! Nothing. No new leads. No hidden messages. Nothing! The thought of these assholes beating him made his blood boil. Whatever it was that they were wanting, he was not willing to hand over easily. They were bound to slip up sooner or later.

Sighing, Max lay back on his bed. He hadn't wanted to go home. That decision had been made for him. Something about him 'not being able to focus'. What everyone was forgetting though was that they were running out of time. Another couple of hours and Rapunzel could be dead. They were already on day three. Chances of getting her back alive were growing more and more dim. But with nothing to go on, all he could do was wait. Wait for _them_. Waiting had never done him any good in the past...It's what had killed _her_. And he would be damned if it was going to happen again.

**…**

It had just gone 8:30 when Rapunzel woke up, Flynn to her surprise, nowhere in sight. _Did the guy ever sleep?_ Stretching, she sat up. The room looked different in the daylight. Less yellow and more grey. Grabbing the remote, Rapunzel switched on the TV and was immediately greeted by a rerun of her parent's appeal for her safe return. Their pained expression brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh, Daddy..." She sighed "I'm coming home soon..."

She continued to sit and watch the news for a little while until Flynn walked in carrying a tray. The smell of bacon causing her stomach to do somersaults.

"Hey..." He began, the smile evident in his voice "I didn't know you were up. Sleep well?"

"Morning, Flynn." She replied with a small smile, her heart lurching at his presence "Yeah, I slept like a baby."

Taking a seat next to her, Flynn placed the tray down on the scratched table, motioning for her to dig in. She didn't have to be told twice. Pulling the plate close to her, Rapunzel practically began to inhale her food.

"I swear..." She said between mouthfuls "I am never _ever _eating the palace food again. Ever! You've converted me."

Laughing, Flynn sat back on the couch, putting his feet up on the table in front. It wasn't long before she was finished her meal, making sure she scraped up every last bite before setting the cutlery down neatly on the plate.

"Tidies like a princess, eats like a pig." Flynn chuckled, Rapunzel playfully swatting at his arm "What!? I personally think it's a great combination."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Rapunzel sat back in the chair. It was silent for a while. A peaceful silence. Neither wanting to break it any time soon. Enjoying each other's company was becoming their new favourite past time. But it couldn't last. No matter how much they tried to pretend that it could. And that killed him. Why did the first girl to truly understand him, to truly get him, have to be the one girl that would forever be unattainable. He had poured his heart out to her last night, probably a little too much if he was perfectly honest, but not once had she ever judged him. A gift like that was hard to come across.

"I..." He finally began, the mood shifting "I'm going to phone about the...about the ransom today. See if we can arrange a drop off time."

"...Oh..." She replied, a hint of a smile being forced "...Ok..."

He was silent again, struggling to maintain eye contact. In honesty, he wanted nothing more than to pull her in close to him. Rip off his make shift mask and hold her tight. Just like he had in his dream.

"Hopefully we'll have you safely home by tomorrow night." He spoke softly.

"Yeah." She nodded "I'll be home, Eugene will get his operation and we..."

She couldn't help but look at him, his hazel eyes conveying as much pain as she felt.

"And we..." He continued "We'll part ways as unlikely friends."

"Yeah..." She said again, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

Looking down at her lap, Rapunzel began to play with a loose thread at the hem of her oversized sweater. The thought of never seeing the dreary house ever again brought her nothing but joy...but the thought of never seeing Flynn ever again...it brought her nothing but a horrible feeling in her chest. One that she had never had before. In all her life she had never met anyone that she had had such a connection with, and as strange as it sounded she felt like he knew her better than anyone else. He knew her as Rapunzel, not as The Princess...and she knew him as Flynn. Not Rider. Not the Troublemaker...but Flynn.

"You know..." He began, a hint of a chuckle to his voice as he scratched the back of his neck "...think I'm going to miss the fact that I can have an intellectual conversation with a girl. Before you I didn't think that _that_ was possible."

She couldn't help but giggle a little. She would miss that too.

"Yeah?" She said in reply "Well, I think I'm going to miss you cooking me all this amazingly unhealthy food." He laughed "You know we're always looking for staff at the Palace. Maybe I'll hire you to be my own personal chef."

"Oh yeah." He agreed, playing along "Eggs and bacon...Lucky Charms...Cookie Dough ice cream, and that's only breakfast!"

"Sounds like the perfect plan." She smiled "_Flynn and Rapunzel! Changing palace meals one clogged artery at a time!"_

They both laughed, Rapunzel falling into his side a little, her closeness setting his body alight. Slowly their laughter began to die down until there was nothing but silence, Rapunzel looking up at Flynn as he looked down at her. In a matter of seconds the mood had shifted, Flynn helping Rapunzel sit up a little straighter as they continued to just stare at each other.

"You really are beautiful, Rapunzel." He said quietly, bringing his hand up to brush some of her golden hair behind her ear, his thumb gently caressing her soft cheek.

"...Why are you still hiding from me, Flynn?" She replied, her own hands now resting against his broad chest "...Take off the bandana..."

"I can't..." He all but whispered.

"Flynn...I said that I would make sure that you got the money...And once you've got it I'm not going to go back and turn you in" She said with pleading eyes "So please...Let me see you...Let me see the man behind the disguise..."

He didn't know what was going through his mind as she sat there staring up at him. He had known from the beginning that he was getting himself into an emotional roller coaster ride...he just wasn't expecting the feelings that he was having for the Princess would be part of that. It was wrong. Unnatural...but still, they were there.

"...What if you don't like the man you see?" He asked, her hands slowly making their way further up his chest "What if all you see is a greedy, evil man? A man that you don't want to help in the end."

"...I can't see what's not there, Flynn..." She said softly, her hands finally coming to a stop at the edge of his disguise.

He could feel her fingers brushing the edge of the bandana, her eyes never leaving his as she silently pleaded with him to take it off...How could he deny her? So with a deep sigh, he slowly let go of her and reached for the last semblance of mystery that he held.

He couldn't help but close his eyes as he pulled the small piece of fabric away from his mouth, looking down at her small hands. He was too frightened to look at her reaction, her silence saying enough. He shouldn't have done this. He shouldn't have let his guard down...But just as he was about to hide himself once again he felt her tiny hands on either side of his face, gently lifting him up to look at her.

"...I remember you..." She said quietly, Flynn opening his eyes to see a look of realization in hers "...You're the guy from the bar..."

"Yeah..." He whispered, her fingers gently dancing across his jaw "...You disappointed?"

But she didn't answer him. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug, something that caught him a little off guard before he replied in wrapping his arms around her.

"I could never be disappointed, Flynn."

Pulling back slightly, Flynn looked down at her, their faces only inches apart.

"Rapunzel..." He quietly began "I..."

But just as he was about to speak, the sound of tires screeching to halt outside brought both of them back into reality.

"Shit!" Flynn cried, turning to see Scott's banged up truck outside the window "Quick! Run!"  
**…**

**A/N: So...what'd ya think? Hope you all enjoyed this chapter guys. I know just now it seem that all these two are doing is talking, but things are now beginning to get shaken up. **

**Reviews are such an encouragement, so let me know what you thought. Thanks :-) **


	8. Goodnight

**A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY! Unfortunately real life has been getting in the way guys. Big exams this week, but that's them finished and now I can carry on with the story. Thank you all for the SHAMAZNIG reviews! You're all fantastical! :)**  
**… **

**Chapter Eight**

With trembling knees, Flynn quickly pulled Rapunzel to her feet, the sound of car doors being slammed shut making his heart threaten to burst out his chest. They were home early, the look of fear dancing in Rapunzel's eyes reminding him just what his friends were turning into. He didn't even want to think what their reaction to the two of them embracing would be if they caught them. Never letting go of her hand, Flynn began to drag her up the stairs, Rapunzel frantically looking behind her to make sure that they hadn't walked in and seen them. She could only imagine the punishment that the two goons would take upon themselves to inflict. Not just to her, but to Flynn as well.

Running across the upstairs landing, Flynn continued to pull her up towards the small flight of stairs that led to the attic door, the sound of the front door slamming shut causing his thundering heart to stop. _C'mon...Hurry, Rider. Hurry!_

They finally came to a halt at the battered door, Flynn pulling the ring of keys from his back pocket as Rapunzel stood clutching her chest tightly, straining to hear the sound of the two monsters downstairs over her gasping breath.

"Fuck!" Flynn whispered, absently flicking through the many keys on the chain, dropping them to the floor before quickly picking them back up.

"Flynn!" Rapunzel gasped quietly, tugging at his hoody as the sound of heavy footsteps began to crash from down stairs "Flynn, hurry! They're coming!"

"I'm trying!" He replied before finally finding the key, quickly opening it only to have Rapunzel fly past into the dim room "I'll be back up later." He whispered, gasping for breath himself "OK? I promise."

And with a small nod, and one last longing glance he shut the door, locking it behind him before he silently began to make his way back down stairs. The thought of leaving her in there once again caused his heart to drop. Not only due to the fact that she was now locked away again, but also because she was no longer in his arms, her delicate fingers dancing across his jaw. Five seconds away from her and he was already craving her company.

Peering round the door, Flynn made sure that the upstairs landing was clear before heading down towards the clattering in the living room. He could feel the anger begin to boil the minute he saw Scott and Michael lazing on the couch, the TV blaring as they sat their feet on the table. They knew he was there, but all they did was stare at the TV, Mike taking a draw from his cigarette every so often.

"Have a productive evening?" Scott asked calmly, never taking his eyes off the TV as Flynn stepped further into the room.

Choosing to ignore him, Flynn walked over to the window. It was another beautiful day. The sun splitting the trees without a cloud in sight. He couldn't help but think about his brother lying in that hospital bed hooked up to goodness only knows what when a day like this was just waiting to be enjoyed. And then there was Rapunzel...the girl who was taking a piece of his heart one beautiful smile at a time. She of all people deserved to be out on a day like this. Basking in the sunlight. How could someone as unselfish as her want to help a lowly waste of space like him? And to make it worse, she would be gone soon. Then he'd never get to spend a day like this with her.

Sighing, Flynn turned round to see the two brother's staring at him. Anger and hate were dancing in their eyes, but he didn't care. The way he was feeling they could fire two bullets into him right now and he would probably thank them. Put an end to it for him there and then. But they were so close. He couldn't give up now.

"We'll make the call today" He mumbled, clearing his throat a little "Arrange a drop off for the ransom."

"Wow..." Scott scoffed with a slight smirk "And here was me thinking that you were forgetting why we were all here."

It took everything in Flynn not to punch him. Rapunzel had done enough damage to his face for the both of them though. The purple circles round Scott's beady eyes proving that.

"Just because I'm capable of compassion, _Scott_, does not mean I've forgotten why we're here." Flynn spat through gritted teeth, his fist tightening.

"Then you deserve a damn Oscar..." He mumbled, reaching into a plastic bag and tossing a disposable cell phone in Flynn's direction "Here...Thought you might be needing this."

Grabbing the phone mid air, Flynn stared the brother's down, their looks of hatred burning deep into him. The minute this was all over he was finished with them. Done. The thought of telling them that Rapunzel had offered her help in getting the money together was not going to be shared with them any time soon. Not until he was sure they had calmed down a little. The last thing he needed was being accused of fooling around with her.

"Just remember, Rider..." Scott snarled "She's the treasure...You're just the crap stuck to the bottom of her shoe."

And with that, they about turned and walked out the room leaving Flynn clutching the phone, his heart sinking deep into his chest.

"...Don't you think I already know that?" He whispered.

**…**

It was the sun that had awoken him from his slumber. The golden rays forcing their way in through the cracks between the blinds, and for a brief moment, he thought he was home. That everything was normal...Then he remembered.

Pressing the small button on the remote that sat at his side, Eugene's bed slowly began to move into a sitting position. Another day that would be spent staring at sterile walls and sleeping. He was doing a lot of that recently. Sleeping and staring. How he wished it would just end. That his misery would be over and he could be at peace. The guilt of Flynn putting his whole life on hold for him was something that gnawed away at him.

He had watched his brother fight for his life. Scramble and claw back everything that the drugs had ripped away from him. He had watched him rebuild life itself. He had lost everything, and through hard work and determination came out stronger. A conqueror...But now...now he was going to lose again.

Closing his eyes, Eugene could feel the tears burn the back of them.

"God..." He whispered horsely "I know it's been a while since I spoke to you, and I'm sorry..." the sound of machines beeping filled the silence as he fought for words ."..I just...I'm just asking...please make me better God...Please make me better."

**...**

It felt like hours had passed since the two brutes had arrived back to the hell hole, and much to Rapunzel's surprise there had been no signs of shouting, screaming or things getting thrown around. They were safe from the wrath of the other two...for now anyway. She had spent at least 20 minutes with her ear pressed up against the door, holding her breath as she prepared for a stampede into her room. But thankfully that never came.

Sighing Rapunzel fell back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. How could she not have recognized him? How could she not remember where she had seen those wonderful hazel eyes? They were the first thing that had caught her attention that night at the bar. The night where he had taken her. He had looked so lost. Defeated...and now she knew why. He had stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the crowed. Waiting. Waiting for her.

Sitting up, Rapunzel ran a hand through her long hair. Flynn had said that today would be the day that they would phone about the ransom. Come tomorrow night she would probably be home...But the thought of leaving and never seeing Flynn again was something that she didn't want to think about. She had promised him that she would help get the money. How, she didn't know yet.

It was the sound of a door slamming shut that snapped Rapunzel out of her day dreams. The whole house shook at the impact, and she knew with such force that it was the other two that were behind it. Getting up from the bed she made her way over to the dirty window, rubbing one of the pane's with the sleeve of her oversized sweater before peering out. She couldn't see much, the dirt clouding most of her vision. All she could make out was the two men walking away from the house. At least they didn't stay long. It was only a matter of minutes before Flynn walked in through the door, a small smile spreading across her face.

"You're ok..." She sighed, flinging her arms around him and pulling him in for a hug.

"Yeah, I'm ok." He said through a smirk, his grip on her tightening "They're still pissed though."

"Where are they going?" Rapunzel asked, looking over her shoulder and out the window once again, the two only tiny specks in the distance now.

"Don't know..." Flynn sighed "They wanted to go for a walk...I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Do you think they're planning something?" She asked, her eyes wide as she absently ran her hands up his chest.

"I don't know..." He sighed again, glancing out the window before looking down at her "But I promise you. You'll be safe."

"I know..." She replied with a small smile, her hand coming to rest against his cheek "Just promise me you will be too, Flynn...Don't do anything stupid that will put you in danger."

"...I promise." He said with a forced smile "I promise..."

"Good..."

She smiled once again before closing her eyes and resting her cheek against his chest, the beating of his heart soothing her. She couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else at that moment. Just safe in his arms. She could no longer deny the connection that the two shared, and she knew that saying that she wasn't even remotely interested in him would be a lie.

"I wish..." She began hesitantly "I wish I had met you differently, Flynn. Out with all of this..."

"...Why?" He asked, almost frightened to hear the answer.

Pulling back, Rapunzel stared up at him with glassy eyes, her lip quivering slightly.

"Because then I wouldn't have to say 'Goodbye'..." She replied "...'Goodbye' means 'forever'..."

Swallowing back his own tears, Flynn tightened his grip on her once again before running a thumb down her cheek, his fingers stopping at the corner of her mouth.

"Then lets not say 'Goodbye'. Lets say 'Goodnight'..." He whispered "...'Goodnight' means 'I'll see you soon'..."

"Yeah..." She smiled, knowing that they were just postponing the inevitable "...Let's say 'Goodnight'."

Pulling her against his chest once again, Flynn closed his eyes before finding the nerve to place a soft kiss against her head, the smell of her hair making him dizzy.

"I'm going to go make the call to the cops." He mumbled into her hair as he firmly took hold of her small hand "Get this over with before those two get back. Ok?"

"Ok..." She answered, looking up at him as he reluctantly began to move away, his fingers interlocked with hers.

"Goodnight." He whispered, gently letting go of her hand.

"...Goodnight."  
**...**

The hours seemed to drag in for Detective Max Guard, sleep never fully overtaking him. He knew that sitting round the house all day would do nothing but drive him insane. He pretty soon found himself sitting back at his desk looking over the case study once again, his glasses perched on the end of his long nose. He couldn't help but pray and hope that he would finally get a lead. That it would spark something off in his mind.

"Boss..." Conrad spoke, breaking Max off from his thoughts "Are you sure it's wise that you be here? Don't you think you need a rest?"

"I've had one." Max replied, never looking up from the file in front of him "Resting isn't going to find this girl."

"Neither is you being too damn tired to focus properly." The rookie argued "I think you need to go home and stay there for more than 4 hours."

Looking up at the young man, Max took off his glasses and rose to his feet. He wasn't in any mood to argue, nor was he in any mood to take orders from a rookie. Crossing his arms over his chest, Max walked round from his desk until he was facing the younger detective, Conrad visibly nervous.

"How long you been here, Boy?" He asked calmly.

"6 months, Sir." He stuttered.

"6 months..." Max mimicked "I've been here 22 years...So do you really think that it's appropriate for you to be telling me what to do, Boy?"

Conrad was silent. He knew that his Boss was getting too attached to the case. Hell, most of the team could see it. But he didn't want to get on the wrong side of him. He knew from past experience that pissing off the wrong person at work could cause you a world of hell.

"I'm just concerned about you, Boss". He finally replied "A couple of us are."

"I'm fine!" Max snapped, putting his glasses back on.

Turning back towards his desk, Max went for his seat, but was stopped short when a frantic cry from one of the women on his team rang through the room.

"Max!" Elsa panted as she ran up to his desk "Phone call...Line 1..."

"Well, who is it?" Max asked, removing his glasses once again.

"The guy who's got the Princess."

_Jackpot...  
_**...**

**A/N: Ugh...that was horrible, wasn't it. Sorry if you guys didn't enjoy that to much. I knew what I wanted to write, but didn't quite know how to write it down lol. Couple of things though:**

**The whole 'Goodnight' thing does not belong to me. I saw it on a reality Tv show and thought that it was so sad and emotional and would fit in perfectly to the story. Hope you agree.**

**Also, I received a message from a kind reviewer who requested that there not be as much swearing, and what I was wondering from you guys is if you think I should raise the rating on this story to M. Is it a little bit too mature for a T rating? Please let me know guys. All reviews are welcome :)**

**Thanks for reading. Please Review :) **


	9. Rapunzel

**A/N: Aw guys, you continue to overwhelm me with all your kind reviews. Thank you so much. And thank you to everyone who reads/favourites/alerts :)**  
**… **

**Chapter Nine**

They had trudged through the woodland for what felt like hours, neither speaking much until they knew that they were in the safety of their own company. They came to a stop at a small clearing by the edge of a field, Mike propping himself up on top of the old rickety wooden fence as Scott angrily paced in front of him, kicking some strewn leaves that lay at his feet.

The thought of Flynn Rider did nothing but make Scott's blood boil. They had been friends for over ten years, had seen each other through thick and thin. When Flynn had been arrested for being under the influence, _he_ had been there in his corner supporting him the whole time. When his dad had kicked ten shades of shit out of him and Eugene for breathing the wrong way, it was _him _that had taken them to the emergency room. Now it was _him, _again, who was doing all the supporting. Doing all the running around. All the dirty work, while he left his brother to die in a hospital bed as he snuggled up next to the Princess! Flynn Rider was definitely not his favourite person right now.

"What you thinking?" Mike spoke, his voice rough and hoarse from his usual silence "You think we should 'take care' of him?"

"No." Scott murmured "We do that then we're stuck with _her _and the mess that he's made...No...We need to play it cool, for now."

"Then what to you suggest!?" Mike snapped, hopping down from the fence to face his brother "We just sit back and leave it? Watch him walk away with the money?"

"No..." Scott replied "No. He obviously has trust for us, right?" Mike nodding at his deluded comment "Well then, we don't break that trust. We'll cool it down. Maybe even 'apologize' for our attitudes. Let him think that he's the one in control."

"Ok..." Mike droned, crossing his arms over his broad chest "Then what?"

"We make our move." He smirked "Get the cash, kill Rider and make off with the girl before we've got the chance to hand her back."

"Ok...And what about Eugene?" Mike asked "What will happen to him?

"Forget about him." Scott shrugged "He's in the dark about what's happening anyway. As far as he's aware, he's a dead man."  
**… **

He was greeted by the cool air as he stepped out into the sunlight, the phone that Scott had brought him wedged tightly between his ear and his shoulder as he lit himself a cigarette. He could feel his heart drum heavily in his chest, his mouth going dry as he impatiently waited to be put on to the detective in charge.

He thought the young woman who had answered the phone was about to pass out when he had said that he was calling with information on Rapunzel. Flustered she had asked him to hold the line which brought him to where he was now, sitting on the porch steps waiting. He had almost finished his cigarette by the time he heard the rattling of the phone cord bumping against the receiver, the sound of coughing and whispering in the background not going unnoticed by him. He had an audience. Great.

_Showtime..._

"_Hello..." _Came a forced calm voice _"This is Detective Maximus Guard, MPDC..." _

He had no idea what he was going to say or how he was going to say it. The sound of the Detective's voice temporarily muting him. What was he meant to say? Hi? How are you? I have the Princess. Would you like her back in exchange for cash? No way.

"_Hello?" _Came the irritated voice of Max once again "_Is anyone there_..."

_Just get it over with, Rider..._

"...Hello" Flynn finally spoke, his voice that of a strangers as he hung his head low "I believe you've been looking for me..."

He could hear rustling around in the background, the Detective probably looking for a pen and paper.

"_Yes, hello..."_ He had changed his voice, an element of kindness in it "_I was expecting a call from you a bit sooner..._"

"Yeah, well things have been a little hectic here." Flynn replied, tugging at his shaggy hair.

"_I understand that..._" Max spoke softly, his breath hitching slightly "_This must be quite a stressful time for you..._"

Flynn knew what he was doing. Playing the good, helpful cop who didn't want to cause him any harm or to feel threatened. He would make Flynn feel like he was just another victim that society had screwed over one too many times, that it was understandable why he had done what he did. He'd make out that he was the only 'friend' that he could trust.

"Look..." Flynn cut in, unwilling to fall into the trap "Let's skip all the bullshit pleasantries, OK? You know I know what it is that you're really digging for, so I'll just flat out and tell you. Yes, she's alive. Yes she's safe."

Max went silent on the phone before clearing his throat a little. He knew the boy meant business.

"_Ok..."_ He finally spoke "_We'll get straight to the point then...what is it you're wanting? Cash? Fame, power?"_

"I want $250,000" Flynn replied bluntly "In cash. There's no catch, no hidden agenda. I just want the money and then that's it. Over. You'll get Rapunzel home safely and we'll part ways."

"_Well, that's a lot of money, son."_ Max said, all kindness in his voice gone_ "You got yourself into some sort of trouble that you can't get out of?"_

"Doesn't matter." Flynn shrugged "For all you know I could just want a vacation of a lifetime."

"_Well why don't you give me a name..." _Max chanced.

"...John." Flynn replied, knowing that the detective wasn't stupid "You can call me, John."

"_Ok, John..." _The Detective drawled "_When are you wanting it by?"_

"Tomorrow. Noon" He forced himself to reply, his heart sinking deeper into his chest "Outside DC USA Shopping Centre."

"_Oh, I don't know, John..."_ Max began "_That doesn't leave me a lot of time to try and pull some strings."_

"Then I guess you've got a challenge on your hands." Flynn retorted "I'll call back in 6 hours time Detective. I hope by then you can give me an answer."

"_Wait! John, don't hang up!"_

"6 hours Detective." And with that he hung up.

Flynn let out a breath that he didn't realise he was holding in. He knew that the Detective was bluffing. He knew he wanted him to stay on the phone just a little bit longer. Leaving him for six hours would probably drive Max insane, but for Flynn it gave him that little bit of time to be with her. Tomorrow would come too soon and today would be gone with the wind.  
**…**

Slamming the phone back on its cradle, Max could feel the start of a migraine. The boy was smart, he'd give him that. Blunt, sharp and straight to the point. He probably knew that getting the money together wouldn't be too difficult. That trying to keep him on the phone that bit longer was their task at hand. Now he was going to have to wait. Again with the waiting.

"Elsa..." Max murmured, rubbing his temples as he took a seat at his desk "Please tell me that you managed to get a location?"

"Sorry, Sir." She replied, shaking her head sadly "We were just a few seconds out."

Of course.

"You heard him guys. $250,000 by 12 Noon tomorrow." He grumbled, looking up at his team "That's what he's wanting...But the good news is that she _is_ alive."

"How can you be so sure that he was telling the truth?" Conrad asked "He could be trying to pull the wool over our eyes."

"You missed it, didn't you?" Max asked, looking up at the Rookie "He called her by her name. He called her 'Rapunzel'."

"Yeah...so?" The Rookie questioned "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It shows, Conrad..." Max began, standing up "That he has a personal connection with this girl, even if it's just in his head. He is using her name because he feels like he knows her. He's too connected. Hell, you could even tell that simply by the tone in his voice...He's not planning on hurting her...He cares for her."

"You got all that because he said her name?" Conrad asked a little bewildered.

"Yes." Max replied "Princess is what she is, Rapunzel is _who _she is..."  
**…**

She had seen him make the call from the window. The pain that was etched across his face tore her heart in two. She had watched as he tugged at his hair, tightened his jaw and shut the world out. What she would give just to go and wrap her arms around him. Tell him that everything would be alright. That she was there. They were never going to say 'Goodbye'. That was a promise.

"Oh, Flynn..." She sighed, gently drawings sun shapes in the dirty glass panes as she watched him get off the step and walk back into the house "If only you could see how much you're worth to me."

Turning, Rapunzel made her way back over to the bed, sitting down and pulling her knees up into her chest. She hadn't been lying to him when she wished that they had met under different circumstances. She wanted to be with him. No matter how stupid and crazy it sounded, she did. She wanted a life with him. She wanted to hold him close and not worry if she was ever going to see him again. She wanted to bring him home to her Father and ask for his blessing. She knew that under any other circumstance her Father would have loved him.

Closing her eyes, Rapunzel bowed her head and began to pray again, something that had kept her sane ever since she was a child. Even if she didn't know how to explain how she was feeling, she knew God would understand.

"God..." She whispered "Thank you for bringing him into my life...Please don't take him away..."  
**…**

He couldn't remember the last time that he had had something to eat, the sound of his stomach growling indicating that it hadn't been recently. But he knew that he couldn't eat. The very thought caused his stomach to somersault. Instead he found a cold beer in the fridge would suffice.

Sitting at the table in the kitchen, Flynn cracked open the can and began to down the contents, the sound of the front door slamming shut as he did so. _Fucking perfect._

Wiping his chin with the back of his hand, Flynn watched as Scott and Mike made their way into the kitchen, both looking a little calmer.

"...Hey..." Flynn started, taking another sip of his beer before setting the can down "You...you ok?"

"Yeah." Scott said with a slight nod, motioning for Mike to join him at sitting at the table "Yeah, we're ok."

There was silence, Flynn not daring to look them in the eyes.

"Look, Rider..." Scott began causing Flynn to finally meet their gaze "I'm not good at this sentimental shit, but I just want you to know that...well, I'm sorry for the way I've been behaving recently."

Sitting up a little straighter, Flynn never took his eyes off the two brothers. Never in his life had he ever witnessed Scott apologize for anything. Not when he accidentally broke Mike's nose or the time that he had scratched Eugene's new car. Apologies were just something that he was not acquainted with.

"You're sorry?" He questioned "For your behaviour?"

"Yeah." Scott nodded "Mikey too. You're right on us losing track on why we're really here. It's about Eugene. It ain't about us. I guess in a situation like this you can kind of forget that."

He didn't know what to say. They looked sincere enough, but even a serial killer could look kind hearted to someone.

"What'ya say?" Scott asked "Call it a truce?"

Flynn watched as his old friend held out his strong hand, his head and his heart pulling him in two different directions. A truce...No more arguing. No more fear of leaving Rapunzel in their company for any length of time. None of that.

"Truce..." He breathed out, shaking his hand.

A smile splayed across the twins' faces as Flynn shook both their hands. Getting up, Scott went to the fridge and pulled out another two beers, tossing one in Mike's direction.

"To Eugene!" Scott bellowed, holding his can up "He's comin' home!"

"To Eugene!" Mike cried with a chuckle, throwing his own can in the air.

"Yeah..." Flynn said softly, the sadness of losing Rapunzel evident in his voice as he gently held his own can up "To Eugene coming home."

With a loud cheer from Scott and Mike, the three clinked their cans together before taking a swig.

"The only way is up!" Cried Scott "The only way is up!"  
**…**

**A/N:Ok, so a little shorter this time guys, but it was one of those chapters that I kinda **_**had **_**to finish like that. Lol. Hopefully you all enjoyed it anyway, and thank you all for your comments about the rating change. I think for now it's just going to stay T :)**

**Please review and let me know what you all think. I will be honest and say that I have NEVER been to America in my life, so I'm fully relying on Google Images and Maps to help me set the scene. Hopefully the locations that I've written about so far are kinda accurate lol. If not you can all shout at me lol :)**


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